Western Sizzlin vs Max & Erma's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Western Sizzlin vs Max & Erma's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Max & Erma's Franchise
Investment $811,000 - $2,300,000$622,500 - $3,100,000
Franchise Fee $30,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 3%4%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19621972
Year Franchised 19651998
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Max & Erma's Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Max & Erma's Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
Equipment No/NoNo/No
Inventory No/NoNo/No
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support

 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Max & Erma's Franchise
Training --
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
Marketing Ad slicks-
Operations 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans

 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Max & Erma's Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion NoNo
International Expansion NoNo

Company Overviews

About Western Sizzlin

WesterN SizzliN serves only the finest steaks. In the cooking process, our steaks are specially seasoned with Gold Dust, a WesterN SizzliN proprietary recipe. The combination of the Pascarellas original cooking technique and one-of-a-kind seasoning brought Nick and his wife Nora, an impeccable reputation for serving the most succulent tasting steak around. As one of our franchisees says, "We've got a special juicy flavor that only WesterN SizzliN has!" But don't just take our word for it, ask anyone who has ever had one, and they'll tell you about it. Nick's concept was just too good to keep to himself. In 1966 he responded to requests and began selling franchises nationally. By 1988, Nick's "steakhouse" had grown into a national chain with yearly sales of nearly half a billion dollars!

About Max & Erma's

In 1972, Max & Erma created a fun, unique, gourmet hamburger restaurant you could take friends & family to, decorating it with quirky artifacts & local paraphernalia. Since that day, we've been committed to providing our guests with delicious all-American food & friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere the whole neighborhood can enjoy. We've grown over the years, but always remain true to what made us successful - delivering a great guest experience. After all, Max & Erma wouldn't have it any other way.

We believe that a great experience starts with our food. That's why we use the freshest, highest quality ingredients in everything we serve. Freshness and quality are truly the foundations upon which Max & Erma's was built. We make every effort to do things the right way, not the easy way. We believe this dedication and passion is the reason we're better and the reason our guests return more often. Our market research tells us that our guests know what they are going to order before they get to our restaurant because they crave certain items, our signature dishes. Many guest favorites include our delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies, Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, Cajun Shrimp & Pasta, Laredo Steak, Santa Fe Salad, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Hand-Battered Onion rings and our famous Gourmet Hamburgers.