Aren't there more Irish Pubs than that in the U.S. alone? The answer is no. Although there are regular Irish bars dotting the U.S. landscape, none of them transport genuine Irish culture, surroundings and standards like the true Irish pubs of today. Over the last seven years, over 250 traditional Irish pubs have opened in the United States. Of those, 99% are still in business; with a few changes in ownership, and several closures this is a great success story. Compare this to an industry where 80 percent of food and beverage ventures fail in their first year, according to figures from "Nation's Restaurant News."

"The IPC is most successful pub concept in the world. It offers all the benefits of a branded franchise without the downside; there are no royalties; no fees and best of all no rule books!" said James Fellowes, a director in commercial development for Guinness USA.

Revenue at authentic Irish Pubs exceeds typical Irish bar sales by as much as 400 percent in some markets and with an equity stake of 30 percent, investors have earned average returns of between 34 and 56 percent on authentic Irish pubs, according to Guinness research. Returns are aided by the absence of any franchise or royalty fees, and by a formula that helps generate unit sales per square foot that are more than double the U.S. industry average.

Today, investors are taking the concept to a number of new kinds of locations, including airports, casinos and hotels. Marriott International, the largest hotel operator in the country, opened four authentic pubs within a year in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Three of the pubs replaced existing bars and have already shown "compelling growth" relative to the operations they replaced, says Brian Yost, Vice President of Beverage for Marriott. Yost adds, "We're ecstatic with performance to date."

The U.S. has just one-third the number of traditional Irish pubs that exist in either Germany or Italy today, leaving plenty of investment opportunity. Are you ready?