Friendly's Restaurants vs Manny's Grill Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Manny's Grill Franchise
Investment $498,500 - $1,950,000$171,235 - $516,652
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $35,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
Advertising Fee 3.5%-
Year Founded 19351993
Year Franchised 19962007
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Manny's Grill Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • First and foremost, you should be a "people person" who believes in making the customer your top priority. We're looking for hands-on operators with prior small business experience who will oversee the restaurant's day-to-day operation. Candidates should possess b sales and effective management abilities, combined with maturity and high standards. We seek people who are actively involved in their communities and have a well-established network of personal contacts. Finally, you must be able to meet the initial investment requirements.

    Financing Options

     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Manny's Grill 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
    Manny's Grill 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
    Manny's Grill 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 Manny's Grill

    Manny’s Neighborhood Grill, the full-service restaurant and bar counterpart to the fast-casual Manny’s Mediterranean Cafe, serves up the same delicious Mediterranean-style fare in a sit-down atmosphere. The Mediterranean grill franchise has been recognized by several regional publications for its ability to cater to a variety of customers.

    We are looking for Entrepreneurs with exceptional interpersonal and customer service skills, who possess prior small business experience and are comfortable managing and handling day-to-day sales