Tin Star Restaurant vs Bar Louie Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Investment $500,000$923,500 - $3,707,333
Franchise Fee $20,000 - $35,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
Advertising Fee -2% local, 1%Nat'l
Year Founded 19991991
Year Franchised 20032010
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills

    • 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
     
    Tin Star Restaurant 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
     
    Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
    Bar Louie Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives

    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 Ad slicks-
    Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 35

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
    Bar Louie Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    About Tin Star Restaurant

    Become a Part of the Tin Star Family Tin Star is seeking energetic, motivated restaurateurs with an unrelenting commitment to Guest service, quality and freshness. We're proud of our concept, and we're excited to find qualified, experienced franchisees who share our passion for great food, fantastic flavors and the Tin Star spirit of hospitality. Take a look at our preliminary requirements and contact our corporate officers for information about available opportunities. If you are interested in developing a specific market and meet all of the preliminary requirements, please complete our application. The Tin Star team has worked hard to put together a franchise program that includes support related to restaurant design, operations, training and development and marketing. Rich Hicks, President, has extensive experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. At Tin Star, our spirit shines through our people, our food, and the experience we create for our Guests. We invite you to get in touch with us to learn more about specific franchise opportunities available at Tin Star.

    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.