Applebee's vs Hard Times Cafe Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Applebee's Franchise
Hard Times Cafe Franchise
Investment $2,009,038 - $8,267,250$449,000 - $1,000,000
Franchise Fee $35,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 4% initially, 5% possible after-
Advertising Fee not less than 4%-
Year Founded 1980-
Year Franchised 2014-
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Applebee's Franchise
Hard Times Cafe Franchise
Experience Our Ideal Franchise Partner -Is committed to a long term franchise relationship built on trust and respect -Knows how to build a brand -Understands that accessible pricing and value are core components of casual dining -Has prior hospitality experience or knowledge, particularly in critical areas like supply chain, quality assurance, real estate development, and marketing -Has or will have infrastructure dedicated to the development of our brand -Has material liquidity and net worth, with access to capital -Has a track record of developing multi-unit restaurant systems -

Financing Options

 
Applebee's Franchise
Hard Times Cafe Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support

 
Applebee's Franchise
Hard Times Cafe Franchise
Training --
Support --
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans

 
Applebee's Franchise
Hard Times Cafe Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Applebee's

Applebee's is the largest casual dining chain in the world with sales of $4.7 billion in 2006. Already the business staple of friendly casual dining, Applebee's is pursuing expansion opportunities, and is looking for individuals/firms with a serious interest in developing our successful brand internationally. For years Applebee's has embraced neighborhood culture, providing high-quality food and drinks in a friendly and informal atmosphere. Compared to the competition, Applebee's consistently delivers food to the consumer faster as well as more affordably. We plan to take this same mantra abroad, creating a warm, inviting dining experience designed around location-specific demographics and customer preference information.

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About Hard Times Cafe

Hard Times Cafe and Hard Times Cafe & Cue is an American Chili Parlor with a 26 year history in the Washington DC area. World Famous for it's Chili recipes, Hard Times serves Chili, Chili Macs, Wings, Onion Rings, Nachos, Chili Dogs, Char-Grilled Burgers and more. To be considered as a Franchisee you must have 5 years restaurant operational experience with a minimum cash investment ability of $200,000 and sufficient net worth to secure financing for the development of a Hard Times Cafe.