Famous Dave's vs Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Famous Dave's vs Hickory River Smokehouse including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
Investment $481,750 - $4,495,750$400,000 - $800,000
Franchise Fee $45,000$18,000
Royalty Fee 5%4%
Advertising Fee 1%Nat'l + 1.5% local-
Year Founded 19952006
Year Franchised 19982006
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee 50% of then-current fee-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
Experience * Prefer Ownership/management experience in full service, casual dining restaurants, in or near the desired territories. * Multi unit experience is a big plus. * Single units will be considered depending on market conditions, demographics and other criteria. * If Area Development Agreement is chosen, minimum of three units required to be developed. * Minimum LIQUID net worth of $750,000. * Minimum per unit development costs could range from approx $900,000 to $4,000,000. * Proven commitment to customer service and quality food. -

Financing Options

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
Training --
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising-
Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 84% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 65

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (97% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Famous Dave's

Famous Dave's is a "specialty" casual dining restaurant franchise, creating environments that transcend current restaurant offerings by serving the highest quality, flavor-intense foods in surroundings that are stimulating, interesting and fun! Famous Dave's is more than a restaurant - it's an escape from the ordinary. Few restaurants in history have achieved as much recognition in a few short years as Famous Dave's! Dave's road to fame began with a strong hankerin' for fine barbecue and a stronger desire to make the finest slow-smoked barbecue folks had ever tasted. He visited rib shacks, roadside joints, every hole-in-the-wall or fancy pants supper club he could, all in search of the most succulent meats, savory seasonings and lipsmackin' sauces around. After 25 years of tastin' and cookin', Dave's barbecue just plain knocked the socks off his family and friends. That's when Dave decided he had to share. He wanted to give all the folks a chance to dig into the best barbecue ever. And in a place as down-home fun and frolicsome as the shacks and clubs he went a callin' on all those years.

"Top
#57 in Gator's Top franchises.

"franchiserankingscom"
#96 on Franchise Rankings.com


About Hickory River Smokehouse

To understand why Hickory River Smokehouse, a small, quickservice restaurant chain based in Tipp City OH, Champaign-Urbana IL, is without a doubt one of the Best Undiscovered Franchises in our solar system, you need to understand two things. The first is Barbecue. The second is Brad & Krista Bowman. What you need to know is that Barbecue is a religion. There is no more passionate of a congregation than the devotees of Barbecue.
Hickory River Smokehouse serves real Texas barbecue, in the tradition of the legendary barbecue pits that Brad, literally, visited and studied from one end of the Lone Star state to the other.
The Bowmans created Hickory River Smokehouse to provide authentic, incredible Texas-style barbecue to the rest of the country without compromising flavor or quality. A powerful advantage of the Hickory River Smokehouse concept and product line is its suitability for both take-out and off-premise catering business, two of the most highly prized revenue centers in the restaurant industry. To find out more about this tasty opportunity, you need to contact Brad Bowman or request some more information right away. But be forewarned: you may gain a few pounds before you even get through training. Voted as one of the Top 10 Best Undiscovered Franchises by IdeaFarm, Hickory River Smokehouse and its "Real Texas Barbecue" may be your true ground-floor opportunity to join a Brand with broad appeal and unlimited growth potential. By smoking all meats on site, we create the most tender, flavorful meats possible, then serve it with our proprietary Texas-style barbecue sauce. With complete support, begin building your net worth with our unique concept and be an entrepreneur.