Friendly's Restaurants vs Perkins Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Perkins Franchise
Investment $498,500 - $1,950,000$1,557,975 - $2,742,975
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $35,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 4%4%
Advertising Fee 3.5%-
Year Founded 19351958
Year Franchised 19961958
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Renewal Fee $5K$5000-$7500


Business Experience Requirements

 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Perkins Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Perkins Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
    Equipment No/NoNo/No
    Inventory No/NoNo/No
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support

     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Perkins Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations-
    Marketing Ad slicks, National media-
    Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 62% of all franchisees own more than one unit

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

    -

    Expansion Plans

     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Perkins Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoNo

    Company Overviews

    About Friendly's Restaurants

    In Springfield, Massachusetts at the height of the Great Depression in 1935, 20 year-old Prestley Blake and his 18 year-old brother Curtis opened an ice cream shop called 'Friendly' that served double-dip cones for 5 cents. The brothers opened a second shop five years later in West Springfield, Massachusetts and added food to the menu. Within a decade, locations opened throughout western Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1988 Donald N. Smith, the company's current CEO, purchased the company and a year later added an 's' to the name, making it 'Friendly's.'

    In May 2000, Friendly's introduced a new food and dessert menu featuring colossal burgers, sandwich wraps, splits, sundaes and Cyclones. Friendly's produces 10 million snack cups and 230,000 gallons of fudge every year. In addition to its restaurants and cafes, Friendly's manufactures a complete line of frozen desserts.

    About Perkins

    In today’s market, the opportunity to buy a Perkins® restaurant franchise business couldn’t be better for experienced restaurateurs interested in aligning with a concept that has withstood the test of time. Now more than ever, restaurant customers are looking for value without sacrificing selection and taste. A top leader in the family restaurant dining segment since 1958, Perkins offers high quality, flavorful and affordable menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and snack. With more than 440 units across the U.S. and Canada, the heritage of the Perkins brand and the ability to adapt to current consumer trends have placed it among the top performing companies in the family restaurant franchise segment.

    It’s time to take a fresh look at Perkins Restaurants. Find out how you can own one of the best family restaurant franchises in the business, and deliver the Perkins experience to loyal diners, through single-unit operations and multi-unit ownership franchise opportunities. Perkins gives you the chance to bring comfort, value, and great taste to your community - not to mention solid growth potential to your own career in foodservice.

    Perkins has a vision for the future, and wants you to be part of it: our goal is to continue to offer great food and memorable dining experiences to guests across the continent!

    Join Perkins and leverage our name, our established systems, and our special recipes - all while pleasing your guests and charting your future in the industry.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Perkins Restaurant and Bakery franchise is $1,557,975 - $2,742,975. This includes the $50,000 initial fee paid to the franchisor (unless you are participating in the Refranchising Program). Under the Company Restaurant Refranchising Program, in which an existing company-owned restaurant is transferred to a franchisee, the initial franchise fee is negotiable and will vary in amount depending on, among other things, the length of the franchise term and the profitability of the restaurant (additional information about the Refranchising Program is provided in the Disclosure Document).
    In addition, if you sign a Development Agreement for three or more restaurants, the initial franchise fee is $40,000 for the first restaurant, $35,000 for the second restaurant and $30,000 for the third and any subsequent restaurant(s).