Howard Johnson’s Franchise

Howard Johnson’s is a franchise for a mid-scale and upscale hotel and restaurant. It was founded by Howard Deering Johnson in 1925.

It all started when Johnson loaned $2,000 to open a small drugstore. He was surprised with how fast he was able to repay it and noticed that his soda fountain has become a hit. He started creating new ice cream flavours. Some say that it was from his mother’s dessert recipes and some say that the recipes came from a German immigrant. The drugstore was located in Quincy, Massachusetts. He opened stand on the beach and offered hot dogs, soft drinks, and ice cream. He expanded and opened a restaurant in the late 1920’s. His first big break was unexpected. A play, Strange Interlude, was moved from Boston to Quincy. It was 5 hour long and had a dinner break. At this time, the crowd rushed in to his restaurant because it was near the theatre. Through word of mouth, the restaurant became known. It was in 1954 when Howard Johnson’s entered the hotel industry. At that time, he already had 400 locations for his restaurant in about 32 states. He opened the first Howard Johnson’s motor lodge in Savannah, Georgia. It became known to American travellers because of its outdoor advertising displays. It has a history of being purchased by different companies and currently, it’s owned by Wyndham Worldwide.

What amenities do Howard Johnson’s offer?

You can choose between a king bed or 2 double beds that are non-smoking guest rooms. All the rooms at Howard Johnson’s have complimentary bottled water and toiletries. Wireless high-speed internet access is also complimentary. Part of the in-room amenities are the coffee or tea maker, hairdryer, and iron and ironing board. You can request for a refrigerator and microwave. Other amenities are the VCR or DVD player, breakfast, childcare, on-site ATM, dry cleaning service, free USA Today at the lobby, blackout drapes, cable or satellite TV, rollaway beds, voicemail, desk, wake-up calls, and handicap access. They also have a restaurant, bar or lounge, swimming pool, shuttles, safety deposit box, and airport transfers. These amenities may differ in every location. Each of them also has special packages for tours in different places depending on the location of the hotel. Parts of these packages are baseball or basketball games, parks, zoos, shopping, or simply a tour around the city.

Costs and Requirements Associated with Running an Howard Johnson’s Franchise?

Expect to be investing about $188,470 to $7,074,000. Franchise fee is $36,000 and on-going royalty fee of 4%. This is for a 15 to 20 year term agreement that is not renewable.

What’s included in the franchise package?

You will be taking a training course at the SoHo (Wyndham Hotel Group's School of Hospitality Operations).There Howard Johnson’s will offer assistance in development, planning, and construction. This includes design, construction services, procurement services, architectural services, and pre-packaged interior design themes. You will also have access to strategic sourcing which will help you get the lowest cost possible in quality supplies. For marketing, it includes direct marketing in email campaigns, social media, regional co-op advertising, and national print, radio, television, and other online campaigns and ad networks.

Howard Johnson’s Contact Details

You May Reach Them At:

Address: 22 Sylvan Wy. Parsippany, New Jersey 07054

Phone: (800)758-8999

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