Friendly's Restaurants vs La Madeleine Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
La Madeleine Franchise
Investment $498,500 - $1,950,000$1,249,362 - $3,088,747
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $35,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
Advertising Fee 3.5%2.5%
Year Founded 19351983
Year Franchised 19962011
Term Of Agreement 20 yearsTerm of agreement not renewable
Term Of Agreement 20 yearsTerm of agreement not renewable
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
La Madeleine Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
    		• • Passionate about the la Madeleine brand and our food • $5 million net worth; liquid assets of $2.5 million • Dedicated to developing multiple restaurants in a given market • Excellent knowledge of the local retail real estate market • Resources to develop and operate at least three (3) bakery cafés in a given territory • Strong track record as a multi-unit restaurant operator • Cultural fit

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

    Training & Support
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    La Madeleine Franchise
    Training -• Ongoing field support • Store opening assistance • Continuous training • Extensive six-week training program for Operations Directors, General Managers, and Managers • Ongoing culinary development On-The-Job Training: 416 hours Classroom Training: 64 hours
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluationsReal Estate • Market evaluation and planning • Site selection assistance • LOI and contract negotiation assistance • In-house real estate resources • Identifying and securing local representation Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Ad slicks, National media • Grand opening assistance • Store opening and PR resources • Local marketing support • Creative support for national promotional events Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    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)

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    Expansion Plans
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    La Madeleine Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion NoYes

    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 La Madeleine

    La Madeleine's serves handcrafted, crave-worthy country French-inspired dishes makes them a favorite with critics and guests alike. Their casual French home atmosphere and versatile menu makes them the perfect place for any meal or a special afternoon treat. La Madeleine guests are greeted with a friendly "bonjour" and an inviting ambiance where they can relax while enjoying time with friends and family. With a menu that satisfies cravings morning, noon, and night, it's no wonder guests keep coming back. For experienced restaurateurs, la Madeleine presents an exciting, financially sound opportunity to share in a unique concept with great potential. At la Madeleine we pride ourselves on our handcrafted food and ambiance we share with our guests. But behind the scenes we work even harder to provide support to our franchisees to help them grow both their business and the la Madeleine brand. We understand investing in the la Madeleine name and menu is just part of the equation for you. World-class operations and efficiencies are equally important and la Madeleine has those. Our commitment to you as a franchisee is to constantly work to find better, more efficient and more profitable ways to help you operate your la Madeleine franchise.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a la Madeleine franchise is as follows:
    • Traditional Café: $1,249,362 to $3,088,747 (excluding real estate and landlord allowances). This includes $43,630 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
    • Petite Café: $1,426,200 to $1,747,400. $390,983 to $1,718,012 (excluding real estate and landlord allowances). This includes between $20,000 and $43,630 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
    "Entrepreneur

    #125 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #141 in Franchise 500 for 2021.