Firehouse Subs vs Cousins Subs Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Firehouse Subs vs Cousins Subs including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Firehouse Subs Franchise
Cousins Subs Franchise
Investment $57,502 - $868,696$119,200 - $300,800
Franchise Fee $20,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 6%6%
Advertising Fee 3-5%2%
Year Founded 19941972
Year Franchised 19951985
Term Of Agreement -10 years +10
Term Of Agreement -10 years +10
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Firehouse Subs Franchise
Cousins Subs Franchise
Experience 1. Minimum of $80k to invest 2. Credit score of 650+ 3. Strong inner drive for excellence 4. Devotion to your Firehouse Subs business 5. Motivated and community-minded 6. Must love subs!
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • People skills

  • Financing Options

     
    Firehouse Subs Franchise
    Cousins Subs Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
    Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
    Inventory No/YesNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support

     
    Firehouse Subs Franchise
    Cousins Subs Franchise
    Training - On-The-Job Training: 185 hours Classroom Training: 53 hours Additional Training: 21 days training total
    Support -Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing -Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations - 10% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 20

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.


    Expansion Plans

     
    Firehouse Subs Franchise
    Cousins Subs Franchise
    US Expansion YesNo
    Canada Expansion YesNo
    International Expansion YesNo

    Company Overviews

    About Firehouse Subs

    Our extraordinary steaming procedure stirs our exceptional meats and cheeses. At the point when our sub sandwiches are served in eateries highlighting genuine firefighting stylistic layout, this is a blend people return for over and over.
    Spreading Like Wildfire
    Surpassing 1,000 establishment areas, our Firehouse Subs development is deliberately figured to improve potential, gain, speculation, and obviously, our franchisees' prosperity.
    Operational Excellence

    With an always developing history of inventive items, an emphasis on uncommon client benefit, and a stand-out brand character, Firehouse Subs is focused on building benefit for franchisees.

    Enjoy More Subs Save More Lives

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single Firehouse Subs Restaurant ranges from $57,502 to $862,591 for Traditional restaurants; $355,118 to $644,047 for End-Cap Strip Mall Restaurants w/ Drive Thru; and $868,696 for Free-Standing Restaurants w/ Drive Thru. These totals include the following amounts that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates: an initial franchise fee of $20,000; the fee for a mural ranges from $3,000 to $4,600; and the MIS System Fee ranges from $0 to $1,200.
    If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you will also pay a Development Fee equal to $10,000 times the number of Restaurants to be developed. The portion of the Development Fee allocable to each Restaurant (which is $10,000 for each Restaurant) will be credited against the initial franchise fee for that Restaurant. The total investment necessary to develop from 2 to 5 Restaurants is $89,502 to 930,591 for Traditional Restaurants; $387,118 to $712,047 for End-Cap Strip Mall Restaurants / Drive Thru; $900,696 to $936,690 for Free-Standing Restaurants w/ Drive Thru.

    Veteran Incentives  $2,000 off first-store franchise fee
    "Entrepreneur
    #59 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #78 in Franchise 500 for 2021.






    About Cousins Subs

    Great food. High quality. Good value. Committed. These are the words our guests and franchisees use to describe the Cousins Subs opportunity. Our guests love our food, and our franchisees respect our organization. Our vision of excellence is what keeps us growing and keeps our guests coming back on a regular basis. We are Cousins Subs , a leader in the growing QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) segment of the restaurant industry. Cousins Subs  competitive advantages include:
     - Being a cash business with low receivables and little inventory.
     - Having a multi-unit market penetration strategy.
     - Possessing an in-depth understanding of the future of our business and industry
     - Offering innovative and automated business systems.
     We invite you to visit several of our locations, and contact us to learn more. Whether you are interested in developing an entire market or to begin with a single unit franchise, Cousins Subs  is your franchise of choice!

    Seeking new franchisees in Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin

    Veteran Incentives  $5,000 off franchise fee