Houlihan's vs Browns Socialhouse Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Houlihan's vs Browns Socialhouse including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Houlihan's Franchise
Browns Socialhouse Franchise
Investment $1,600,000 - $4,300,000$2,000,000 - $2,500,000
Franchise Fee $40,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 4%6%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 1972-
Year Franchised 1994-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Houlihan's Franchise
Browns Socialhouse Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Must live in same market being developed
  • A PROVEN TRACK RECORD + EXPERIENCE in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Passionate + highly motivated about running a business. That's how serious we are about partnering with only the best. We don't compromise on this because it's what our guests deserve.


    Financing Options

     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Browns Socialhouse Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/Yes-/-
    Receivables No/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/-

    Training & Support

     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Browns Socialhouse Franchise
    Training --
    Support Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising-
    Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 78

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    -

    Expansion Plans

     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Browns Socialhouse Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion NoYes
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Houlihan's

    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).

    About Browns Socialhouse

    Browns Restaurant Group offers a variety of partnership opportunities. We are uniquely social.
    Browns Socialhouse is designed to be highly competitive in smaller urban and suburban markets. We're big and aspirational enough to appeal to dedicated urbanites, yet small and "familiar" enough to ensure everyone feels welcome. We have a "secret formula" and below you'll get a sneak peek. Our main competitive advantages include: 1. Site Placement: because of our smaller footprint, Browns Socialhouses can pop up in places where many other brands simply won't fit. Being smaller, we can target "A" locations without the burden of a huge rental factor. For Guests, Browns' smaller footprint provides for a much warmer overall experience. How many people would rather see a band play in a stadium than a club? Exactly. At Browns, our Guests and team members come together and are all part of the action. This makes for a truly social eating, drinking and working experience! 2. Efficiency: building and up-keep costs stay relatively low because of Browns' smaller footprint, and Socialhouses are efficiently designed to require less staff (which lowers labour costs). 3. Kitchen + Menu: Regular menu updates keep our offerings fresh while ensuring solid margins for franchisees and excellent perceived value for Guests. Our Culinary Mission is to produce great-looking menu items with delicious, approachable flavour profiles that can be prepared consistently and cost-effectively across the system. Our Chefs embrace the role of "part menu developer" and "part quality controller," and they're constantly tasting, testing and re-evaluating current menu items for quality, consistency and Guest acceptance. 4. Bar + Lounge: Central to the Socialhouse concept is a signature bar that brings life and energy to the entire operation. Our great selection of drinks delivers great value to Guests. As with our Menu Program, drink pricing is set aggressively to enable financial targets. 5. Owner-Operator Focus: We ensure every Socialhouse we open is owned and operated by someone dedicated to the community it serves. We are able to deliver excellent product and service required to provide a "WOW Experience" to our Guests. Each and every time. Using sophisticated systems and partnering with savvy Franchisees, Browns Restaurant Group successfully competes with independent restaurants and larger chains in local markets.