Friendly's Restaurants vs Fresh To Order Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Fresh To Order Franchise
Investment $498,500 - $1,950,000$489,500 - $646,500
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $35,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 4%-
Advertising Fee 3.5%-
Year Founded 19352005
Year Franchised 19962006
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Fresh To Order Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience

    • *Experience as a restaurant operator for a five year minimum *Recognition as a top restaurant operator *Net worth of $1 million, Multi unit 2 Million *Liquid assets of $250,000, Multi unit $500,000 *Infrastructure and resources to meet our development schedule *Total commitment to the development of the f2o brand *Cultural fit and a passion for our concept

    Financing Options
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Fresh To Order 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
    Fresh To Order Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations

    *Real Estate and Site Selection Approval *Lease Review *Design and Construction Support and Assistance *Marketing and Public Relations *Comprehensive Six Week Pre-Opening Training Program *Continuing Education *Field Support *Purchasing and Distribution
    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
    Fresh To Order 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 Fresh To Order

    When Pierre Panos envisioned the Fresh To Order concept, he didn’t intend to pioneer a new style of dining that would change the industry, he simply wanted to bring a finer dining experience to the masses at fast casual price points in an elevated dining environment with flavorful, always from scratch cooking. Pierre tapped Jesse Gideon, his corporate chef from his Stoney River concept to lead the charge in creating this food-first culture that is our DNA today…… No commissary driven food here!
    The future growth of Fresh To Order Franchising Company, LLC will be based upon company opened stores as well as the continued sale of single and multi unit franchises. We prefer to develop by selling market areas which require the franchise developer to open a number of units, typically 2-5 stores in a period of 3 years. Be part of a new niche that we call "fast fine" with incredible food served in less than 10 minutes for around $10 while surrounded by beautiful facilities. Beat the competition with a finer dining taste profile at a fast casual price point. Be proud to serve proteins cooked fresh to order as they are ordered unlike all our competitors premade or commissary driven food. Be passionate about the quality of a brand that actually has their brand promise entrenched in their name. Lead the consumer trend towards the combination of healthy but flavorful food; a trend that experts agree is the future of dining.Fresh To Order is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this trend, our name specifically speaks to that. Be part of a fast casual brand that has a dinner day part. The fast casual segment currently doesn't offer a broad selection of dinner entrees, beer and wine that attracts a more profitable dinner service; our menu drives dinner service close to 40% of our sales. Work with an experienced, respected management team able to lead change and always keep your investment fresh and relevant. f2o franchisees must be well-capitalized to open great stores and meet their development schedule. Additionally, they must have a proven track record as excellent restaurant operators to operate great Fresh To Order stores. All information submitted to Fresh To Order Franchising Company, LLC is used only to assist in the pre-screening of potential franchises, and will be kept confidential. If you are interested in developing a specific market and meet all of the preliminary requirements, please complete the form to the right.