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Updated RecentlyFriendly's Restaurants vs Country Kitchen Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Friendly's Restaurants vs Country Kitchen 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 | $425,000 - $1,685,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $30,000 - $35,000 | $40,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 4% |
| Advertising Fee | 3.5% | 3% local + 1% Int'l |
| Year Founded | 1935 | 1939 |
| Year Franchised | 1996 | 1958 |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | 20 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | 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 | - | Our Education and Training programs help you build an enthusiastic Country Kitchen team with a passion for Absolute Guest Satisfaction. Training videos, operations manuals and on-site training crews are just a few of the tools designed to help your restaurant run efficiently as a team. In addition, we offer a 6 to 10 week hands-on training course at a certified training restaurant, new store opening support and Management Leadership Seminars to build and strengthen your management team. |
| Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations | We will provide on-site visitations with a Franchise Consultant. They will cover topics such as financial performance review, operational evolution, sales building, cost controls, and staff (management and hourly) development providing you with sound business advice and direction. We provide such operational tools like our Recruitment, Selection and Retention Library, our Recipe Card System, and our customized M.O.R.E. Operations Manual. And while you can't replace on-site visits and one-on-one interaction, it's nice to know we have programs in place structured to help you overcome every obstacle along the way. |
| Marketing | Ad slicks, National media | Our brand-building promotions offer innovative products with excellent profit margins. We provide effective point-of-purchase materials, award-winning menus and multimedia advertising opportunities to support your operation. Additionally, Country Kitchen offers full local restaurant marketing support with our in-house creative team. From grand opening events and simple advertisements to local market research, we help drive the success of you and your operation. |
| 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) | With almost 70 years of successful operations, we've just about seen it all. We've created the operational synergies that make us a world-class franchise system. Driving this synergy is our team of seasoned franchise consultants, who provide you with the building blocks for a successful operation. |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | - |
| International Expansion | 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.