Red Robin Gourmet Burgers vs Hot Dog On A Stick Franchise Comparison

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers was founded in 1969. It is a casual dining restaurant chain that serves up wholesome, fun, feel-good experiences in a family-friendly environment. Red Robin restaurants are famous for serving more than 22 high-quality gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with Bottomless Steak Fries, as well as salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and signature Mad Mixology Beverages. There are more than 360 Red Robin restaurants located across the United States and Canada, which include both corporate-owned locations and those operating under franchise or license agreements.

The initial franchise fee is $35,000. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a RED ROBIN® RESTAURANT ranges from $2,220,000 to $4,115,000 for a freestanding prototype building, or $1,865,000 to $3,635,000 for a standard-size, in-line space prototype or for a mid-size, in-line space prototype.

These ranges include the initial franchise fee of $35,000 that you must pay to the franchisor but does not include the cost of buying, building or renting the restaurant location and the cost to obtain a liquor license.

Our first store opened at Muscle Beach, Santa Monica, California in 1946. Our founder, Dave Barham, was a charismatic and enlightened personality who understood the value of treating people to an experience as opposed to a service. In short, he built his business around the concepts of putting people first, and giving them a show. His approach was extremely successful. By 1990 Hot Dog on a Stick had become an icon in our primary venue, shopping malls, with 60 stores operating in 12 states.

After Dave passed away in 1991, we became an employee owned corporation (ESOP) led by a management team he had mentored over the years. This team has successfully overseen Hot Dog on a Stick's expansion to over 103 stores in 17 states.