Denny's vs Cosi Inc Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Denny's Franchise
Cosi Inc Franchise
Investment $305,000 - $2,404,695$762,600 - $899,800
Franchise Fee $10,000 - $30,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 4.5%-7%5%
Advertising Fee 3%-3.5%2%
Year Founded 1953-
Year Franchised 1984-
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years
Renewal Fee $10K for 10 years-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Denny's Franchise
Cosi Inc Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Operations experience
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Denny's Franchise
    Cosi Inc 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/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Denny's Franchise
    Cosi Inc 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
    Cosi Inc Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    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.

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


    About Cosi Inc

    At the heart of every Cosi restaurant is an open-flame stone-hearth oven where the Cosi signature flatbread is made from scratch throughout the day. The flatbread is made from a generations-old recipe and is part of many Cosi favorites.
    Cosi was founded on the idea that good-for-you food should be delicious. Menu items are made using fresh ingredients and distinctive sauces and spreads to create edgy flavors. The menu features made-to-order sandwiches, hand-tossed salads, bowls, breakfast wraps, melts, all natural soups, signature Squagels, artisan flatbread pizzas, S'mores, snacks and desserts. Guests can also enjoy handcrafted beverages and a variety of coffee-based and specialty beverages.