Denny's vs Shoney's Restaurants Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Denny's Franchise
Shoney's Restaurants Franchise
Investment $305,000 - $2,404,695$568,000 - $2,800,000
Franchise Fee $10,000 - $30,000$25,000 - $35,000
Royalty Fee 4.5%-7%2.5-3.5%
Advertising Fee 3%-3.5%-
Year Founded 19531968
Year Franchised 19841971
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $10K for 10 years-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Denny's Franchise
Shoney's Restaurants Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Operations experience

    • Solid business experience Multi-unit management Proven expertise in retail (food and beverage a plus) Previous franchise experience advantageous


    Financing Options
     
    Denny's Franchise
    Shoney's Restaurants Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/Yes
    Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
    Inventory No/YesNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    Denny's Franchise
    Shoney's Restaurants Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 91 hours Classroom Training: 16 hours Additional Training: At existing Denny's restaurants-
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform-
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app-
    Operations 44% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 80

    Absentee Ownership Allowed

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Denny's Franchise
    Shoney's Restaurants Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesNo

    Company Overviews

    About Denny's

    In 1953, Harold Butler opened Danny's Donuts, a Lakewood, California, stand that served coffee and doughnuts 24 hours a day. The following year, the stand grew and its name was changed to Danny's Coffee Shops. Five years later, there were 20 shops in the chain, and the company changed its name to Denny's. Denny's locations serve breakfast, lunch and dinner choices 24 hours a day. Denny's New & Emerging Markets incentive program is designed to help us recruit exceptional new franchisees to seize valuable market share in new & emerging markets. Under the program, new franchisees can save up to $1 million by developing 4 new restaurants in new & emerging markets. The estimated savings include reduced: initial fees, royalty rate, marketing fees, market planning fee, store design fees, NRO training, and MGIP (development fees). With a flexible, cost-effective prototype & best-in-class systems, Denny's is positioned for sustained franchise growth.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Denny’s franchise is from $1,330,525.50 to $2,404,695.50 for a Denny’s Heritage facility; from $305,000 to $826,000 for a nontraditional Denny’s, including The Den; and from $1,025,528.50 to $1,659,695.50 for Denny’s within a Travel Center (these numbers exclude real estate). This includes the initial franchise fee of $10,000 to $30,000 and the New Restaurant Opening fee of $0 to $36,000, for a total of $10,000 to $66,000, which must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.

    "franchiserankingscom"
    #59 on Franchise Rankings.com
    #83 on Franchise 500 for 2021  Not on Franchise 500 for 2020


    About Shoney's Restaurants

    Since 1947, Shoney’s has been known for authentic southern dishes that are available for breakfast, lunch, supper and to-go.
    Today, after completing an extensive revitalization program that includes a focus on freshly prepared, innovative menu items, beautifully redesigned restaurants with flat screen TV’s and modern furnishings and the commitment to give back to the communities we serve, Shoney’s truly is better than ever.
    Shoney’s is a Nashville-based company with more than 140 restaurants located in 16 states. Each restaurant strives to give back and be a pillar to the community, which is the hallmark of Shoney’s culture. We support local schools, sports teams, the military, firefighters, police, EMTs and more.
    From San Antonio, Texas to Dover, Ohio and every location in between, our restaurants are committed to partner with the communities we serve.

    Grow with us! Make Shoney’s a part of your future and invest in a business you’ll be proud to own.