Nathan's Famous vs Cousins Maine Lobster Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
  Nathan's Famous Cousins Maine Lobster
Investment 43000 - 1071360 232900 - 828700
Franchise Fee 0
Royalty Fee 5.50% 6-8%
Advertising Fee 2% 2%
Year Founded 1916 2011
Year Franchised 1988 2014
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements
  Nathan's Famous Cousins Maine Lobster
Experience Industry experience General business experience

Financing Options
  Nathan's Famous Cousins Maine Lobster
 
Franchise Fees Yes
Start-up Costs No
Equipment Yes
Inventory Yes
Receivables No
Payroll No

Training & Support
  Nathan's Famous Cousins Maine Lobster
Training On-The-Job Training: 40 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software
Marketing Co-op advertising Ad Templates National Media Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
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) Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 2

Expansion Plans
  Nathan's Famous Cousins Maine Lobster
US Expansion Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
International Expansion Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile
Investment
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster
Franchise Fee
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster
Royalty Fee
Nathan's Famous 5.50%
Cousins Maine Lobster 6-8%
Advertising Fee
Nathan's Famous 2%
Cousins Maine Lobster 2%
Year Founded
Nathan's Famous 1916
Cousins Maine Lobster 2011
Year Franchised
Nathan's Famous 1988
Cousins Maine Lobster 2014
Term Of Agreement
Nathan's Famous 20 years
Cousins Maine Lobster
Renewal Fee
Nathan's Famous 50% of franchise fee
Cousins Maine Lobster


Business Experience Requirements
Experience
Nathan's Famous Industry experience General business experience
Cousins Maine Lobster

Financing Options
 
Franchise Fees
Nathan's Famous Yes
Cousins Maine Lobster Yes
Start-up Costs
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster
Equipment
Nathan's Famous}
Cousins Maine Lobster
Inventory
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster
Receivables
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster
Payroll
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster

Training & Support
Training
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster On-The-Job Training: 40 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours
Support
Nathan's Famous Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations
Cousins Maine Lobster Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software
Marketing
Nathan's Famous Co-op advertising
Cousins Maine Lobster Ad Templates National Media Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
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)
Cousins Maine Lobster Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 2

Expansion Plans
US Expansion
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster
International Expansion
Nathan's Famous
Cousins Maine Lobster Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe