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Updated RecentlyFriendly's Restaurants vs Hard Rock Cafe Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Friendly's Restaurants vs Hard Rock Cafe including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $498,500 - $1,950,000 | $2,995,000 - $4,910,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $30,000 - $35,000 | $350,000 - $750,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | - |
| Advertising Fee | 3.5% | - |
| Year Founded | 1935 | - |
| Year Franchised | 1996 | - |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | - |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | - |
| Renewal Fee | $5K | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-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 |
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| Training | - | - |
| Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations | - |
| Marketing | Ad slicks, National media | - |
| Operations |
Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 62% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | - |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | - |
| Canada Expansion | No | No |
| International Expansion | No | No |
Company Overviews
About Friendly's Restaurants
In Springfield, Massachusetts at the height of the Great Depression in 1935, 20 year-old Prestley Blake and his 18 year-old brother Curtis opened an ice cream shop called 'Friendly' that served double-dip cones for 5 cents. The brothers opened a second shop five years later in West Springfield, Massachusetts and added food to the menu. Within a decade, locations opened throughout western Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1988 Donald N. Smith, the company's current CEO, purchased the company and a year later added an 's' to the name, making it 'Friendly's.'
In May 2000, Friendly's introduced a new food and dessert menu featuring colossal burgers, sandwich wraps, splits, sundaes and Cyclones. Friendly's produces 10 million snack cups and 230,000 gallons of fudge every year. In addition to its restaurants and cafes, Friendly's manufactures a complete line of frozen desserts.
About Hard Rock Cafe
You can buy an international Hard Rock Cafe franchise in Canada, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, South America or South Africa. However, the chain is not expanding in the United States at the time of publication. The company franchises to other companies with substantial assets, as it estimates a new Hard Rock Cafe has initial costs of about $3 million to $5 million depending on size and location. Merchandise sales account for more than 40 percent of franchise income.