Nathan's Famous vs A & W Restaurants Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

  Nathan's Famous A & W Restaurants
Investment 43000 - 1071360 269000 - 1213000
Franchise Fee 0 0
Royalty Fee 5.50% 5%
Advertising Fee 2% 5%
Year Founded 1916 1919
Year Franchised 1988 1925
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements

  Nathan's Famous A & W Restaurants
Experience Industry experience General business experience Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills

Financing Options

  Nathan's Famous A & W Restaurants
 
Franchise Fees Yes No
Start-up Costs No No
Equipment Yes No
Inventory Yes No
Receivables No No
Payroll No No

Training & Support

  Nathan's Famous A & W Restaurants
Training Before your restaurant opens, we provide six weeks of intensive in-store training for you and, in some instances, your key management people. The training takes place at an established A&W restaurant, usually in the same province where the restaurant will be located. From being shown the secrets of battering and breading A&W's handmade onion rings, to learning detailed information about how to create an efficient operation and positive work environment, you'll gain the knowledge and the confidence to achieve success in your own restaurant.
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations The moment you become an A&W franchisee, you can expect complete and unrivaled support for your business and the A&W brand, all with the sole purpose of helping you to succeed. Operational support As your A&W restaurant settles into its regular routine, A&W business managers provide ongoing guidance with operational aspects of your business such as staffing, cost management and local marketing. Our business managers are an extraordinarily experienced team of senior managers whose job is to help you succeed. You'll also be invited to attend regular regional meetings and national conventions, where you'll gain new knowledge and share ideas with senior management and other A&W franchisees. In no time, you'll become a part of our energetic, results-oriented A&W team. Internal communication With over 50 years of experience as a franchise company in Canada, we have learned that communication is a crucial element of any successful franchise organization. The A&W Xchange, a private intranet site developed exclusively for the use of A&W operators and Head Office personnel, provides an outstanding vehicle for daily, real-time communication within the A&W family. You will also have access to a toll-free line for use in contacting Head Office. Internal standards boards and councils Decisions about ongoing operating standards and menu content are conducted through our Standards Board, an executive body comprised of franchisees elected in their region and a number of senior corporate managers. In a similar way, decisions about advertising expenditures and national promotional programs are made by a group of elected franchisees and corporate personnel who serve on our National Advertising Advisory Council. These two bodies give strong evidence of how, by working together, we develop marketing and operational programs that will help grow your business.
Marketing Co-op advertising Local store marketing is not just a catchphrase around the A&W family, but a way of life. Each restaurant is unique, and will have a marketing plan tailored to fit it. We understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The A&W Marketing Team and each restaurant's Franchise Growth Leader work one-on-one with Franchise Partners to help develop a marketing strategy, budget, and implementation tactics.
Operations 60% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 14 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (65% of current franchisees are owner/operators) Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

Expansion Plans

  Nathan's Famous A & W Restaurants
US Expansion
Canada Expansion
International Expansion

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile

Investment
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
Franchise Fee
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
Royalty Fee
Nathan's Famous 5.50%
A & W Restaurants 5%
Advertising Fee
Nathan's Famous 2%
A & W Restaurants 5%
Year Founded
Nathan's Famous 1916
A & W Restaurants 1919
Year Franchised
Nathan's Famous 1988
A & W Restaurants 1925
Term Of Agreement
Nathan's Famous 20 years
A & W Restaurants 20 years
Renewal Fee
Nathan's Famous 50% of franchise fee
A & W Restaurants


Business Experience Requirements

Experience
Nathan's Famous Industry experience General business experience
A & W Restaurants Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills

Financing Options

 
Franchise Fees
Nathan's Famous Yes
A & W Restaurants Yes
Start-up Costs
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
Equipment
Nathan's Famous}
A & W Restaurants
Inventory
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
Receivables
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
Payroll
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants

Training & Support

Training
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants Before your restaurant opens, we provide six weeks of intensive in-store training for you and, in some instances, your key management people. The training takes place at an established A&W restaurant, usually in the same province where the restaurant will be located. From being shown the secrets of battering and breading A&W's handmade onion rings, to learning detailed information about how to create an efficient operation and positive work environment, you'll gain the knowledge and the confidence to achieve success in your own restaurant.
Support
Nathan's Famous Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations
A & W Restaurants The moment you become an A&W franchisee, you can expect complete and unrivaled support for your business and the A&W brand, all with the sole purpose of helping you to succeed. Operational support As your A&W restaurant settles into its regular routine, A&W business managers provide ongoing guidance with operational aspects of your business such as staffing, cost management and local marketing. Our business managers are an extraordinarily experienced team of senior managers whose job is to help you succeed. You'll also be invited to attend regular regional meetings and national conventions, where you'll gain new knowledge and share ideas with senior management and other A&W franchisees. In no time, you'll become a part of our energetic, results-oriented A&W team. Internal communication With over 50 years of experience as a franchise company in Canada, we have learned that communication is a crucial element of any successful franchise organization. The A&W Xchange, a private intranet site developed exclusively for the use of A&W operators and Head Office personnel, provides an outstanding vehicle for daily, real-time communication within the A&W family. You will also have access to a toll-free line for use in contacting Head Office. Internal standards boards and councils Decisions about ongoing operating standards and menu content are conducted through our Standards Board, an executive body comprised of franchisees elected in their region and a number of senior corporate managers. In a similar way, decisions about advertising expenditures and national promotional programs are made by a group of elected franchisees and corporate personnel who serve on our National Advertising Advisory Council. These two bodies give strong evidence of how, by working together, we develop marketing and operational programs that will help grow your business.
Marketing
Nathan's Famous Co-op advertising
A & W Restaurants Local store marketing is not just a catchphrase around the A&W family, but a way of life. Each restaurant is unique, and will have a marketing plan tailored to fit it. We understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The A&W Marketing Team and each restaurant's Franchise Growth Leader work one-on-one with Franchise Partners to help develop a marketing strategy, budget, and implementation tactics.
Operations
Nathan's Famous 60% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 14 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (65% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
A & W Restaurants Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

Expansion Plans

US Expansion
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
Canada Expansion
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants
International Expansion
Nathan's Famous
A & W Restaurants