Hard Rock Cafe vs Bar Louie Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Hard Rock Cafe vs Bar Louie including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Hard Rock Cafe Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Investment $2,995,000 - $4,910,000$923,500 - $3,707,333
Franchise Fee $350,000 - $750,000$50,000
Royalty Fee -5%
Advertising Fee -2% local, 1%Nat'l
Year Founded -1991
Year Franchised -2010
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Hard Rock Cafe Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Experience -

Just as there is no cookie cutter location, there is no cookie-cutter franchisee. A company's objective should determine if a potential franchisee is a good fit. For franchisees looking to build on a unique culture, franchisees should be excited for the opportunity to customize. Someone who wants to expand quickly through a replication and repetition rollout approach will not deliver the guest experience that customers should come to expect from the brand.


Financing Options
 
Hard Rock Cafe Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support
 
Hard Rock Cafe Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
Training --
Support -

We offer extensive support along the way, including: * Full support through the site identification and construction process * A comprehensive training program for restaurant teams * MALT (Music, Atmosphere, Lighting, Temperature) - the secret to creating the Bar Louie experience * Access to leading software and restaurant management tools * Compelling advertising and local store marketing materials * Extensive PR and social media programming
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans
 
Hard Rock Cafe Franchise
Bar Louie Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

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.

About Bar Louie

Bar Louie is a national collection of neighborhood bars featuring hand-crafted cocktails and spirits, delectable food and an inviting atmosphere for people to enjoy time with friends and mingle with new people. Founded in 1990 by Ted Kasmir and Roger Greenfield, Bar Louie has more than 100 locations across the United States and is growing through both franchising and corporate locations. Open during four parts of the day - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - Bar Louie is an award-winning concept with a progressively hip and lively atmosphere. Each Bar Louie is a local social, casual gathering spot - neighborhood bars and eateries that feature hand-crafted cocktails, spirits and delectable scratch food in an inviting, urban atmosphere. Each Bar Louie has a modern, relaxed vibe that expresses the brand’s identity, and no two locations are alike. Some are a cozy 5,000 square feet, while another boasts a roomy 11,000 square feet, with many other locations somewhere between. Layouts vary, as do local food and drink specials. Just as no two locations are like, there is no "cookie-cutter" type of franchise partner for Bar Louie. While existing franchisees have owned a business, each owner comes from a unique facet of life. Similarly, guests range from ages 25 to 54 and more than 50 percent are women. Another distinction is Bar Louie's four distinct day-parts - lunch, happy hour, dinner and late night - with the entire food and drink menu available all day, every day. This provides guests a perfect gathering place for family dinners, drinks with friends, watching sporting events and everything between. The average customer visit lasts longer than two hours.
Financially we require per location: $500K liquid assets, $1.5 million net worth.

The total investment necessary to begin operations of a Bar Louie Restaurant franchised business ranges from $923,500 to $3,707,333. This includes $50,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
The total initial investment necessary to begin operation as a Bar Louie Area Developer is $25,000 multiplied by the number of Bar Louie restaurants to be developed under the Development Agreement. This is the same amount that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.