Friendly's Restaurants vs IHOP Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
IHOP Franchise
Investment $498,500 - $1,950,000$414,866 - $3,374,043
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $35,000$40,000 - $50,000
Royalty Fee 4%4.5%
Advertising Fee 3.5%3.5%
Year Founded 19351958
Year Franchised 19961960
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
IHOP Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
    		• -

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

    Training & Support
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    IHOP 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
    IHOP Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    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 IHOP

    The IHOP restaurant chain has been serving a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner selections for more than 57 years. IHOP enjoys a rich heritage and almost universal awareness. Our brand has been built upon the strenght of our franchisees, vendors partners and dedicated employees. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operate by Glendale, California based IHOP Corp. There are over 1,280 IHOP restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of an IHOP franchise at a non-traditional venue is as follows:
    • Full-Service Program: $693,266 to $3,374,043
    • IHOP Limited-Service Program: $414,866 to $1,427,418
    This includes Initial Fees of $39,000 to $79,480 per Full-Service Restaurant and $23,500 to $48,480 per IHOP Limited-Service Restaurant to be developed which must be paid to the Franchisor or an IHOP Affiliate.

    ""