Houlihan's vs Cool-de-Sac Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Houlihan's vs Cool-de-Sac including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
  Houlihan's Cool-de-Sac
Investment 1600000 - 4300000 858700 - 1988667
Franchise Fee 0
Royalty Fee 4% 6%
Advertising Fee
Year Founded 1972 2008
Year Franchised 1994 2010
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements
  Houlihan's Cool-de-Sac
Experience Industry experience General business experience Must live in same market being developed

Financing Options
  Houlihan's Cool-de-Sac
 
Franchise Fees No
Start-up Costs No
Equipment No
Inventory No
Receivables No
Payroll No

Training & Support
  Houlihan's Cool-de-Sac
Training
Support Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising
Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 78 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators) Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 60 - 80. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

Expansion Plans
  Houlihan's Cool-de-Sac
US Expansion Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, 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 Nationwide, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory
International Expansion Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Yugoslavia

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile
Investment
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Franchise Fee
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Royalty Fee
Houlihan's 4%
Cool-de-Sac 6%
Advertising Fee
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Year Founded
Houlihan's 1972
Cool-de-Sac 2008
Year Franchised
Houlihan's 1994
Cool-de-Sac 2010
Term Of Agreement
Houlihan's 20 years
Cool-de-Sac 10 years
Renewal Fee
Houlihan's $5K
Cool-de-Sac


Business Experience Requirements
Experience
Houlihan's Industry experience General business experience Must live in same market being developed
Cool-de-Sac

Financing Options
 
Franchise Fees
Houlihan's No
Cool-de-Sac No
Start-up Costs
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Equipment
Houlihan's}
Cool-de-Sac
Inventory
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Receivables
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Payroll
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac

Training & Support
Training
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac
Support
Houlihan's Meetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Cool-de-Sac
Marketing
Houlihan's Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising
Cool-de-Sac
Operations
Houlihan's Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 78 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Cool-de-Sac Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 60 - 80. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

Expansion Plans
US Expansion
Houlihan's Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming,
Cool-de-Sac 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
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac Nationwide, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory
International Expansion
Houlihan's
Cool-de-Sac Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Yugoslavia