Cousins Subs vs Zero's Subs Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Cousins Subs Franchise
Zero's Subs Franchise
Investment $119,200 - $300,800$150,000 - $250,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$15,000
Royalty Fee 6%6%
Advertising Fee 2%-
Year Founded 19721967
Year Franchised 19851996
Term Of Agreement 10 years +1015 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years +1015 years
Renewal Fee -10% of current franchise fee


Business Experience Requirements

 
Cousins Subs Franchise
Zero's Subs Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • People skills

  • Industry experience
  • General business experience

  • Financing Options

     
    Cousins Subs Franchise
    Zero's Subs 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

     
    Cousins Subs Franchise
    Zero's 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 Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app Ad slicks, National media
    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.

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (70% of current franchisees are owner/operators)


    Expansion Plans

     
    Cousins Subs Franchise
    Zero's Subs Franchise
    US Expansion No-
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoYes

    Company Overviews

    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

    About Zero's Subs

    In 1967, Gene Schmidt started ZERO'S SUBS. Zero’s Subs is one of the largest regional sandwich franchises in the U.S. with more than 30 restaurants nationally. Since its inception in Virginia Beach in 1967, Zero’s Subs has created a proven fast, casual concept which offers high-quality foods, such as hot oven-baked subs, hearth-baked bread, Hormel meats, buffalo chicken wings, innovative health-conscious salads, wraps and pizza - all under one roof.