Famous Sam's vs Bar Louie Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Famous Sam's Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Investment $586,000 - $1,200,000$923,500 - $3,707,333
Franchise Fee $30,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee -2% local, 1%Nat'l
Year Founded 19791991
Year Franchised 19892010
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Famous Sam's Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Industry experience preferred, not required; strong management background

    • Just as there is no cookie cutter location, there is no cookie-cutter franchisee. A company's objective should determine if a potential franchisee is a good fit. For franchisees looking to build on a unique culture, franchisees should be excited for the opportunity to customize. Someone who wants to expand quickly through a replication and repetition rollout approach will not deliver the guest experience that customers should come to expect from the brand.


    Financing Options
     
    Famous Sam's Franchise
    Bar Louie Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/No-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Famous Sam's Franchise
    Bar Louie Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Field operations/evaluations

    We offer extensive support along the way, including: * Full support through the site identification and construction process * A comprehensive training program for restaurant teams * MALT (Music, Atmosphere, Lighting, Temperature) - the secret to creating the Bar Louie experience * Access to leading software and restaurant management tools * Compelling advertising and local store marketing materials * Extensive PR and social media programming
    Marketing Co-op advertising-
    Operations 46% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    100% of current franchisees are owner/operators

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Famous Sam's Franchise
    Bar Louie Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Famous Sam's

    In Tucson, Arizona, in 1963, Sam Schantz opened a small neighborhood bar called 'Sam's Tavern.' Serving overstuffed pastrami and ham sandwiches, Sam's Tavern kept customers entertained with pool tables, pinball machines and television. In February 1987, Sam's Tavern incorporated as Famous Sam's Corp., and franchising began the next year. In 1997, Famous Sam's Inc. was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary, and company headquarters moved to Phoenix. Famous Sam's Restaurant/Sports Bars offers reasonably priced casual dining with 'Overstuffed/Oversized' sandwiches and a full bar. Restaurants feature televisions tuned to sporting events and the 'National Trivia Network,' inviting guests to play trivia games. Game areas include pool tables, darts and video games.

    About Bar Louie

    Bar Louie is a national collection of neighborhood bars featuring hand-crafted cocktails and spirits, delectable food and an inviting atmosphere for people to enjoy time with friends and mingle with new people. Founded in 1990 by Ted Kasmir and Roger Greenfield, Bar Louie has more than 100 locations across the United States and is growing through both franchising and corporate locations. Open during four parts of the day - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - Bar Louie is an award-winning concept with a progressively hip and lively atmosphere. Each Bar Louie is a local social, casual gathering spot - neighborhood bars and eateries that feature hand-crafted cocktails, spirits and delectable scratch food in an inviting, urban atmosphere. Each Bar Louie has a modern, relaxed vibe that expresses the brand’s identity, and no two locations are alike. Some are a cozy 5,000 square feet, while another boasts a roomy 11,000 square feet, with many other locations somewhere between. Layouts vary, as do local food and drink specials. Just as no two locations are like, there is no "cookie-cutter" type of franchise partner for Bar Louie. While existing franchisees have owned a business, each owner comes from a unique facet of life. Similarly, guests range from ages 25 to 54 and more than 50 percent are women. Another distinction is Bar Louie's four distinct day-parts - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - with the entire food and drink menu available all day, every day. This provides guests a perfect gathering place for family dinners, drinks with friends, watching sporting events and everything between. The average customer visit lasts longer than two hours.
    Financially we require per location: $500K liquid assets, $1.5 million net worth.

    The total investment necessary to begin operations of a Bar Louie Restaurant franchised business ranges from $923,500 to $3,707,333. This includes $50,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
    The total initial investment necessary to begin operation as a Bar Louie Area Developer is $25,000 multiplied by the number of Bar Louie restaurants to be developed under the Development Agreement. This is the same amount that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.