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Updated RecentlyHoulihan's vs Country Kitchen Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Houlihan's vs Country Kitchen 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 | $425,000 - $1,685,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 4% |
| Advertising Fee | - | 3% local + 1% Int'l |
| Year Founded | 1972 | 1939 |
| Year Franchised | 1994 | 1958 |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | 20 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | 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 | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | No/Yes | -/- |
| Equipment | No/Yes | -/- |
| Inventory | No/Yes | -/- |
| Receivables | No/Yes | -/- |
| Payroll | No/Yes | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | - | Our Education and Training programs help you build an enthusiastic Country Kitchen team with a passion for Absolute Guest Satisfaction. Training videos, operations manuals and on-site training crews are just a few of the tools designed to help your restaurant run efficiently as a team. In addition, we offer a 6 to 10 week hands-on training course at a certified training restaurant, new store opening support and Management Leadership Seminars to build and strengthen your management team. |
| Support | Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | We will provide on-site visitations with a Franchise Consultant. They will cover topics such as financial performance review, operational evolution, sales building, cost controls, and staff (management and hourly) development providing you with sound business advice and direction. We provide such operational tools like our Recruitment, Selection and Retention Library, our Recipe Card System, and our customized M.O.R.E. Operations Manual. And while you can't replace on-site visits and one-on-one interaction, it's nice to know we have programs in place structured to help you overcome every obstacle along the way. |
| Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising | Our brand-building promotions offer innovative products with excellent profit margins. We provide effective point-of-purchase materials, award-winning menus and multimedia advertising opportunities to support your operation. Additionally, Country Kitchen offers full local restaurant marketing support with our in-house creative team. From grand opening events and simple advertisements to local market research, we help drive the success of you and your operation. |
| 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) | With almost 70 years of successful operations, we've just about seen it all. We've created the operational synergies that make us a world-class franchise system. Driving this synergy is our team of seasoned franchise consultants, who provide you with the building blocks for a successful operation. |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | - |
| International Expansion | No | - |
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 Country Kitchen
For over 80 years, Country Kitchen has been a place where guests
feel like they’re coming home. The food is always fresh, the smiles
stretch a country mile and breakfast can be any time of the day! Light
and fluffy pancakes, skillets and omelettes packed with fresh
ingredients, thick and juicy burgers, savory sandwiches, hearty dinners,
and homemade desserts can be enjoyed at one of our many locations
throughout the country!
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Country Kitchen
ranges from $575,000 to $1,685,000 for a standard Country Kitchen and
$425,000 to 895,000 for a limited service café style Country Kitchen ,
exclusive of the cost of real estate. These totals include $40,000 that
must be paid to the franchisor. The amount paid to the franchisor will
increase if you also sign an Area Development Agreement because that
agreement requires that in addition to payment of the $40,000 initial
franchise fee for the first Country Kitchen you also are required to pay
us a deposit of $20,000 for each additional Country Kitchen to be
opened under the Area Development Agreement.