Bar Louie vs Black Bear Diners Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Bar Louie vs Black Bear Diners including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Bar Louie Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
Investment $923,500 - $3,707,333$1,133,800 - $2,114,200
Franchise Fee $50,000$55,000
Royalty Fee 5%4.5%
Advertising Fee 2% local, 1%Nat'l1%
Year Founded 19911995
Year Franchised 20102002
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Bar Louie Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
Experience

Just as there is no cookie cutter location, there is no cookie-cutter franchisee. A company's objective should determine if a potential franchisee is a good fit. For franchisees looking to build on a unique culture, franchisees should be excited for the opportunity to customize. Someone who wants to expand quickly through a replication and repetition rollout approach will not deliver the guest experience that customers should come to expect from the brand.

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Financing Options
 
Bar Louie Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support
 
Bar Louie Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
Training - On-The-Job Training: 240 hours Additional Training: At certified training restaurants
Support

We offer extensive support along the way, including: * Full support through the site identification and construction process * A comprehensive training program for restaurant teams * MALT (Music, Atmosphere, Lighting, Temperature) - the secret to creating the Bar Louie experience * Access to leading software and restaurant management tools * Compelling advertising and local store marketing materials * Extensive PR and social media programming

Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing - Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
Operations -Number of Employees Required to Run: 65

Expansion Plans
 
Bar Louie Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

About Bar Louie

Bar Louie is a national collection of neighborhood bars featuring hand-crafted cocktails and spirits, delectable food and an inviting atmosphere for people to enjoy time with friends and mingle with new people. Founded in 1990 by Ted Kasmir and Roger Greenfield, Bar Louie has more than 100 locations across the United States and is growing through both franchising and corporate locations. Open during four parts of the day - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - Bar Louie is an award-winning concept with a progressively hip and lively atmosphere. Each Bar Louie is a local social, casual gathering spot - neighborhood bars and eateries that feature hand-crafted cocktails, spirits and delectable scratch food in an inviting, urban atmosphere. Each Bar Louie has a modern, relaxed vibe that expresses the brand’s identity, and no two locations are alike. Some are a cozy 5,000 square feet, while another boasts a roomy 11,000 square feet, with many other locations somewhere between. Layouts vary, as do local food and drink specials. Just as no two locations are like, there is no "cookie-cutter" type of franchise partner for Bar Louie. While existing franchisees have owned a business, each owner comes from a unique facet of life. Similarly, guests range from ages 25 to 54 and more than 50 percent are women. Another distinction is Bar Louie's four distinct day-parts - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - with the entire food and drink menu available all day, every day. This provides guests a perfect gathering place for family dinners, drinks with friends, watching sporting events and everything between. The average customer visit lasts longer than two hours.
Financially we require per location: $500K liquid assets, $1.5 million net worth.

The total investment necessary to begin operations of a Bar Louie Restaurant franchised business ranges from $923,500 to $3,707,333. This includes $50,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
The total initial investment necessary to begin operation as a Bar Louie Area Developer is $25,000 multiplied by the number of Bar Louie restaurants to be developed under the Development Agreement. This is the same amount that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.

About Black Bear Diners

Black Bear Diner is proud of the training and support we provide to our franchisees. Through this we have earned the honor of being one of Franchise Business Review’s “Top 50 Franchisors” for two years. We have an experienced support team to make sure you and your staff are fully supported and well trained.

"Entrepreneur
#469 in Franchise 500 for 2020.