Houlihan's vs Black Bear Diners Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Houlihan's Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
Investment $1,600,000 - $4,300,000$1,133,800 - $2,114,200
Franchise Fee $40,000$55,000
Royalty Fee 4%4.5%
Advertising Fee -1%
Year Founded 19721995
Year Franchised 19942002
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Houlihan's Franchise
Black Bear Diners Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Must live in same market being developed
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Black Bear Diners Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-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
     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Black Bear Diners Franchise
    Training - On-The-Job Training: 240 hours Additional Training: At certified training restaurants
    Support Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
    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)

    		Number of Employees Required to Run: 65

    Expansion Plans
     
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Black Bear Diners Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    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 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.