Houlihan's vs Western Sizzlin Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Houlihan's Franchise
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Investment $1,600,000 - $4,300,000$811,000 - $2,300,000
Franchise Fee $40,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 4%3%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19721962
Year Franchised 19941965
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Houlihan's Franchise
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Must live in same market being developed
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Western Sizzlin Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/No
    Equipment No/YesNo/No
    Inventory No/YesNo/No
    Receivables No/YesNo/No
    Payroll No/YesNo/No

    Training & Support

     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Western Sizzlin Franchise
    Training --
    Support Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertisingAd slicks
    Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 78

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)


    Expansion Plans

     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Western Sizzlin Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoNo

    Company Overviews

    About Houlihan's

    Houlihan's has been known for exceptional food at an affordable price since we entered the casual dining segment in 1972. Our menu features a great mix of contemporary pop American cooking - classic dishes reinvented in a fresh modern way and brought to the table with simple, stylish plating and presentations. And then there's the bar. It's always the best place to feel the great energy of Houlihan's. Our bar strategy unites pop culture, trendy premium brands, the newest drinks and vendor insights for a winning combination, resulting in an enviable liquor mix.

    To help us more quickly expand to new markets and trade areas, Houlihan's is seeking sophisticated restaurant operators with experience building out entire markets. At this time, we are not pursuing single-site franchise agreements.

    Our ideal candidate to become a franchise market developer is a successful full-service, multi-unit operator with expertise in one or more large markets (e.g. the top 75 MSAs in the United States). We are seeking entrepreneurial organizations that can thrive in our flexible franchise environment, while having access to growth capital and capital reserves, but experiencing growth constraints with their current restaurant concept(s).

    About Western Sizzlin

    WesterN SizzliN serves only the finest steaks. In the cooking process, our steaks are specially seasoned with Gold Dust, a WesterN SizzliN proprietary recipe. The combination of the Pascarellas original cooking technique and one-of-a-kind seasoning brought Nick and his wife Nora, an impeccable reputation for serving the most succulent tasting steak around. As one of our franchisees says, "We've got a special juicy flavor that only WesterN SizzliN has!" But don't just take our word for it, ask anyone who has ever had one, and they'll tell you about it. Nick's concept was just too good to keep to himself. In 1966 he responded to requests and began selling franchises nationally. By 1988, Nick's "steakhouse" had grown into a national chain with yearly sales of nearly half a billion dollars!