Pepe's Mexican Restaurants vs Fuzzy's Taco Shop Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Pepe's Mexican Restaurants vs Fuzzy's Taco Shop including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants Franchise
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Franchise
Investment $207,000 - $652,000$770,500 - $1,116,500
Franchise Fee $10,000 - $15,000$35,000
Royalty Fee 4%3.5% - 5%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19672003
Year Franchised 19672009
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants Franchise
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants Franchise
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/Yes-/Yes
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/Yes
Equipment No/No-/Yes
Inventory No/Yes-/Yes
Receivables No/No-/Yes
Payroll No/No-/Yes

Training & Support

 
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants Franchise
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Franchise
Training -On-The-Job Training: 297 hours Classroom Training: 30 hours Additional Training: At company-owned store
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertisingAd Templates Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 25

Expansion Plans

 
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants Franchise
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Pepe's Mexican Restaurants

Pepe's concept began in 1954 as a taqueria in Chicago. Pepe's Incorporated has been franchising Pepe's Mexican Restaurants since 1967. Pepe's prepares and serves a full menu of Mexican food items for dining-in or carryout. It also operates a 57,000 square foot U.S. commissary where it produces food products for its franchised restaurants and its branded product program. The branded product program sells food products to schools, factories, and office cafeterias, as well as the U.S. Military for use at military bases in the United States and abroad.

About Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Founded in 2001 near the TCU campus in Fort Worth, the original Fuzzy's Taco Shop was purchased by Alan and Chuck Bush after just two years of operation. The father-son combination with a collective 20 years of restaurant industry experience initially took a slow, hands-on approach to running the business. They insisted on adhering to the promise: "To focus our full attention on promptly and efficiently providing our guests with generous helpings of uniquely flavorful foods at a fair price in a fun atmosphere." That promise remains central to the chain's success today as Fuzzy's Taco Shop expands across the country. Fuzzy's corporate-owned and franchise locations are now serving fresh, handmade Baja-style Mexican food in 79 stores across nine states, with many more on the way. Fuzzy's Taco Shop is a member of the International Franchise Association.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a  Fuzzy's Taco Shop Restaurant franchise ranges from $770,500 to $1,116,500. This includes $30,000 to $50,000 payable to the franchisor or its affiliates.
If you wish to acquire the right to develop multiple  Fuzzy's Taco Shop Restaurants with a multiunit development franchise, you must pay the franchisor the entire initial franchise fee for 50-100% of the Restaurants you agree to develop. For a typical commitment of 2-3 Restaurants, the total investment necessary to begin operation of a  Fuzzy's Taco Shop multi-unit development franchise ranges from $34,500 to $95,000. This includes $32,500 to $90,000 payable to the franchisor or its affiliates.
Veteran Incentives  50% off first-unit franchise fee,
$3,000 off second-unit franchise fee, and
$2,500 off third-unit franchise fee for veterans entering a multi-unit development agreement for at least three units
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