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Updated RecentlyFriendly's Restaurants vs Cool-de-Sac Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Friendly's Restaurants vs Cool-de-Sac 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 | $858,700 - $1,988,667 |
| Franchise Fee | $30,000 - $35,000 | $75,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 6% |
| Advertising Fee | 3.5% | - |
| Year Founded | 1935 | 2008 |
| Year Franchised | 1996 | 2010 |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | 10 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 20 years | 10 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) | Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 60 - 80. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | Yes |
| International Expansion | No | Yes |
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 Cool-de-Sac
Cool de Sac is an attractive family-style restaurant model that offers something for everyone: it's a wonderful place to meet, it's a fantastic place to eat, it's a great place to play and the perfect destination for an all-around family day. After talking to over 300 parents during our research and having served over 160,000 customers so far, we can confirm that Cool de Sac is a fantastic idea whose time has come. Customer Service ratings to our flagship Restaurants in Florida have been excellent. Cool de Sac has lucratively covered a market niche that fills an important urban lifestyle need and offers highly promising business potential to any entrepreneur in any suburb in the United States. As we seek to expand our presence to other cities in the U.S. �" not to mention other countries �" we look forward to forging lasting partnerships with enthusiastic franchisees like you. Join forces with us and you will become part of a network that is driven by professionalism, quality, consistency, and a true passion for excellence. To learn how our partnership can work to your advantage, read more about Cool de Sac. As you get to know our business better, you will see an opportunity you'll want to consider for the long term. We envision your entrepreneurial spirit and our expertise as the perfect combination with which to build a powerful international brand. We look forward to welcoming you on board!