Smashburger vs Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Smashburger vs Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Smashburger Franchise
Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Franchise
Investment $743,130 - $1,404,535$475,000 - $650,000
Franchise Fee $40,000$35,000
Royalty Fee 5 - 6%5%
Advertising Fee 2%1% Nat'l + 1% local
Year Founded 20072012
Year Franchised 20082015
Term Of Agreement -10 years +10
Term Of Agreement -10 years +10
Renewal Fee none-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Smashburger Franchise
Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Franchise
Experience Smashburger (Smashburger Franchising LLC) is seeking multi-unit development partners domestically and internationally. To be considered, individuals or partnerships must meet the following minimum criteria: *Demonstrated enthusiasm, drive, and passion and a proven record of success in the restaurant industry *Five years multi-unit restaurant management experience as an owner and/or operator *Experience operating a minimum business of 10 or more units *Minimum financial net worth of $2 million and liquidity of $500,000 *Typical development agreement commitment of 5-20 units *Operating, real estate and trade area experience in development territory *Dedicated support team for Smashburger *Ability to obtain a liquor license (where applicable)-

Financing Options
 
Smashburger Franchise
Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support
 
Smashburger Franchise
Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Franchise
Training -

Both classroom and hands-on training in our kitchen. Last minute training and grand opening support. We will stay with you until we are both comfortable that the restaurant is running smoothly.
Support Real Estate and Site Selection Lease Approval Pre-opening Management Training Vendors and Equipment Store Opening Support Information Technology Marketing and Public Relations Operations Support Purchasing and Distribution-
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans
 
Smashburger Franchise
Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion -Yes
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

About Smashburger

Spread the Burger Love and Become a Smashburger Franchisee Today Smashburger franchisees are proven multi-unit operators, leaders in the industry whose energy, passion and entrepreneurial spirit fuel an eagerness to feed hungry burger lovers. To be every city's favorite burger place, Smashburger chooses only the best people to be Smashburger franchisees. Our franchise partners are committed to setting a new standard of guest experience. From the taste of the food, to the speed and accuracy of the order, the power of our people to make decisions, the friendly face at the counter and the cleanliness of the restaurant, our Smashburger franchise partners proudly strive to deliver a great guest experience in every restaurant, every time. Together the Smashburger corporate team and the Smashburger franchisees will quickly make Smashburger every city's favorite burger place. The Smashburger corporate team is dedicated to ensuring the success of the Smashburger franchisees so Smashburger can become every city's favorite burger place. The Smashburger corporate team has a variety of backgrounds, including operations, real estate, marketing, public relations, human resources, purchasing and information technology. The Smashburger team specializes in helping Smashburger franchisees during pre-opening, grand opening and provides on-going support. Smashburger succeeds if our franchisees succeed, and we are committed to your success!
The Smashburger team will provide you with the systems, resources and support you need to operate your business successfully.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Smashburger Restaurant is estimated to be $743,130 to $1,404,535. This includes $41,500 to $71,500 that must be paid to franchisor or its affiliates. If we grant you area development rights, the total investment necessary to acquire these rights is estimated to be $20,000 to $480,000 (based on a standard 2 to 25 restaurant development deal, determined by multiplying $20,000 by the total number of restaurants you agree to develop, less one), all of which must be paid to franchisor or its affiliates.


About Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie

We opened our first Cheese Curds location in the Woodside area of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in February 2012 and we were the Halifax Regional Municipality's very first gourmet burger restaurant. Several other gourmet burger concepts soon followed, some have even since closed their doors, but we continued to succeed despite increased competition and opened a second location in Dartmouth in May 2013. We have been asked over and over when we are going to franchise our awesome burger concept and the answer is...very soon! We have been working hard gearing up for this over the last little while and we are happy to say we will be ready to bring on franchisees for the Atlantic Canada region in 2015.Cheese Curds provides a unique franchise proposition, not only in the quality and reputation of the brand to the consumer but also in the proven operating method offered to franchisees based on the years of experience of our founder.Cheese Curds believes competition is healthy and can only be positive for the customer. We differentiate ourselves by providing chef inspired menu items using only the freshest ingredients, with an unwavering focus on flavour and we prepare everything to order in an open kitchen concept in front of the customer. Our orders take a little longer to fill as a result but we stand behind our mantra that "it is worth the wait". Our high repeat customer experience tells us we are right. Contact us if you are interested in becoming part of this great Canadian success story