Houlihan's vs Bar Louie Franchise Comparison

Houlihan's has been known for exceptional food at an affordable price since we entered the casual dining segment in 1972. Our menu features a great mix of contemporary pop American cooking - classic dishes reinvented in a fresh modern way and brought to the table with simple, stylish plating and presentations. And then there's the bar. It's always the best place to feel the great energy of Houlihan's. Our bar strategy unites pop culture, trendy premium brands, the newest drinks and vendor insights for a winning combination, resulting in an enviable liquor mix.

To help us more quickly expand to new markets and trade areas, Houlihan's is seeking sophisticated restaurant operators with experience building out entire markets. At this time, we are not pursuing single-site franchise agreements.

Our ideal candidate to become a franchise market developer is a successful full-service, multi-unit operator with expertise in one or more large markets (e.g. the top 75 MSAs in the United States). We are seeking entrepreneurial organizations that can thrive in our flexible franchise environment, while having access to growth capital and capital reserves, but experiencing growth constraints with their current restaurant concept(s).

Bar Louie is a national collection of neighborhood bars featuring hand-crafted cocktails and spirits, delectable food and an inviting atmosphere for people to enjoy time with friends and mingle with new people. Founded in 1990 by Ted Kasmir and Roger Greenfield, Bar Louie has more than 100 locations across the United States and is growing through both franchising and corporate locations. Open during four parts of the day - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - Bar Louie is an award-winning concept with a progressively hip and lively atmosphere. Each Bar Louie is a local social, casual gathering spot - neighborhood bars and eateries that feature hand-crafted cocktails, spirits and delectable scratch food in an inviting, urban atmosphere. Each Bar Louie has a modern, relaxed vibe that expresses the brand’s identity, and no two locations are alike. Some are a cozy 5,000 square feet, while another boasts a roomy 11,000 square feet, with many other locations somewhere between. Layouts vary, as do local food and drink specials. Just as no two locations are like, there is no "cookie-cutter" type of franchise partner for Bar Louie. While existing franchisees have owned a business, each owner comes from a unique facet of life. Similarly, guests range from ages 25 to 54 and more than 50 percent are women. Another distinction is Bar Louie's four distinct day-parts - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - with the entire food and drink menu available all day, every day. This provides guests a perfect gathering place for family dinners, drinks with friends, watching sporting events and everything between. The average customer visit lasts longer than two hours.

Financially we require per location: $500K liquid assets, $1.5 million net worth.

The total investment necessary to begin operations of a Bar Louie Restaurant franchised business ranges from $923,500 to $3,707,333. This includes $50,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
The total initial investment necessary to begin operation as a Bar Louie Area Developer is $25,000 multiplied by the number of Bar Louie restaurants to be developed under the Development Agreement. This is the same amount that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.