Friendly's Restaurants vs Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Franchise
Investment $498,500 - $1,950,000$49,789,087 - $70,127,050
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $35,000$75,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
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
 
Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants 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
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Franchise
    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
     
    Friendly's Restaurants Franchise
    Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion NoYes

    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 Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

    "Kimpton

    At Kimpton, it’s always personal. We focus on what it means to be human and an individual. You’ll quickly learn  Kimpton’s not just a hospitality job. Here, you’ll join a mission to make lives better. No biggie. The real you is a job requirement; your diverse background, talents, and quirks are what help our company connect meaningfully with our guests. You’ll lead your own personal career path while you help make each guest’s journey feel more personal. You won’t just punch a clock and count the hours; you’ll make it count.
    That’s why FORTUNE magazine has put  Kimpton on its “Best Companies To Work For” list nine times. It’s why we score 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index every year. Our guests feel it too - it’s why we’re consistently ranked as a best-loved hospitality company. Our thriving company culture, numerous hospitality career tracks, and rich benefits and perks also make us one of the best places to work. We take care of all of our people with great benefits, like paid time off; medical, dental, and vision plans; life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance; 401(k) with employer matching; 6 weeks paid paternity/maternity leave; back-up child and elder care; robust professional and personal development through our own  Kimpton University; and employee discounts at our 60+ hotels nationwide.
    Plus, we throw in some extra Kimpton-style perks, like wellness programs and, of course, pet insurance. We’re a best place to work because we’re driven by our passion for unscripted, heartfelt care. From the first whirl of a hula hoop at your employee orientation (yes, it happens) to every  Kimpton Moment thereafter, you’re going to love it here as much as our guests do.