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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Houlihan's vs Max & Erma's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $1,600,000 - $4,300,000 | $622,500 - $3,100,000 |
Franchise Fee | $40,000 | $40,000 |
Royalty Fee | 4% | 4% |
Advertising Fee | - | - |
Year Founded | 1972 | 1972 |
Year Franchised | 1994 | 1998 |
Term Of Agreement | 20 years | - |
Term Of Agreement | 20 years | - |
Renewal Fee | $5K | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | No/Yes | No/No |
Start-up Costs | No/Yes | No/No |
Equipment | No/Yes | No/No |
Inventory | No/Yes | No/No |
Receivables | No/Yes | No/No |
Payroll | No/Yes | No/No |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | - |
Support | Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | - |
Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising | - |
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) | - |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | Yes | - |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | No | No |
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).
In 1972, Max & Erma created a fun, unique, gourmet hamburger restaurant you could take friends & family to, decorating it with quirky artifacts & local paraphernalia. Since that day, we've been committed to providing our guests with delicious all-American food & friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere the whole neighborhood can enjoy. We've grown over the years, but always remain true to what made us successful - delivering a great guest experience. After all, Max & Erma wouldn't have it any other way.
We believe that a great experience starts with our food. That's why we use the freshest, highest quality ingredients in everything we serve. Freshness and quality are truly the foundations upon which Max & Erma's was built. We make every effort to do things the right way, not the easy way. We believe this dedication and passion is the reason we're better and the reason our guests return more often. Our market research tells us that our guests know what they are going to order before they get to our restaurant because they crave certain items, our signature dishes. Many guest favorites include our delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies, Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, Cajun Shrimp & Pasta, Laredo Steak, Santa Fe Salad, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Hand-Battered Onion rings and our famous Gourmet Hamburgers.