Famous Daves
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching Famous Daves franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Famous Dave's serves barbecue, including ribs, meat combinations, burgers, sandwiches, sides and desserts. The restaurant brand also provides catering for groups and events.
Headline figures
Quick facts
- How much does it cost to open a Famous Daves franchise?
- The Famous Daves Franchise Disclosure Document reports separate estimated initial investments by format: $53,500–$2,865,000 for as incurred as incurred famous dave’s, employees, suppliers and utilities total if premises leased by you (14) — ghost/cloud (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $435,000–$2,865,000 for as incurred as incurred famous dave’s, employees, suppliers and utilities total if premises leased by you (14) — line service (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $689,000–$2,865,000 for as incurred as incurred famous dave’s, employees, suppliers and utilities total if premises leased by you (14) — counter service (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $1,254,500–$2,865,000 for as incurred as incurred famous dave’s, employees, suppliers and utilities total if premises leased by you (14) — full service (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $53,500–$4,440,000 for total if premises purchased by you (14) — ghost/cloud (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $824,500–$4,440,000 for total if premises purchased by you (14) — line service (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $1,944,000–$4,440,000 for total if premises purchased by you (14) — counter service (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38); $3,179,000–$4,440,000 for total if premises purchased by you (14) — full service (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 38). These formats are not combined. Each is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- Does Famous Daves disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Yes. The Famous Daves FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 74). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
- How many Famous Daves locations are there?
- The FDD reports 200 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 75). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1The 2026 FDD (Item 7) estimates opening costs separately by format: $53,500 – $2,865,000 (As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Ghost/cloud); $435,000 – $2,865,000 (As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Line service); $689,000 – $2,865,000 (As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Counter service); $1,254,500 – $2,865,000 (As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Full service); $53,500 – $4,440,000 (Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Ghost/cloud); $824,500 – $4,440,000 (Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Line service); $1,944,000 – $4,440,000 (Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Counter service); $3,179,000 – $4,440,000 (Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Full service); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 covers 4 separate groups: revenue and other measures for 30 Company-owned locations; other measures and revenue for 59 Franchised locations; other measures for 30 Company-owned locations; revenue and other measures for 89 Systemwide company and franchised locations. They are not combined.
- 3Outlets declined by 16 in 2025, to 200 (United States, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Range across 8 single-unit formats
2026 FDD · Item 7
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (8)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose.
- As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Ghost/cloudPDF p. 38$53,500 – $2,865,000
- Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Ghost/cloudPDF p. 38$53,500 – $4,440,000
- As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Line servicePDF p. 38$435,000 – $2,865,000
- As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Counter servicePDF p. 38$689,000 – $2,865,000
- Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Line servicePDF p. 38$824,500 – $4,440,000
- As Incurred As Incurred Famous Dave’s, Employees, Suppliers and Utilities Total if premises leased by you (14) — Full servicePDF p. 38$1,254,500 – $2,865,000
- Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Counter servicePDF p. 38$1,944,000 – $4,440,000
- Total if premises purchased by you (14) — Full servicePDF p. 38$3,179,000 – $4,440,000
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
31 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
4 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue and other measures · 30 locations
- Who is counted
- Company-owned
- Excluded
- Open entire year; ghost kitchens excluded; revenues not profit and exclude discounts.
- Method
- Franchise historical reports unaudited; company uniform accounting GAAP, unaudited. Net revenues food,liquor,merchandise.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue and other measures · 59 locations
- Who is counted
- Franchised
- Excluded
- Open entire year; ghost kitchens excluded; revenues not profit and exclude discounts.
- Method
- Franchise historical reports unaudited; company uniform accounting GAAP, unaudited. Net revenues food,liquor,merchandise.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Other measures · 30 locations
- Who is counted
- Company-owned Famous Dave’s restaurants open for all of fiscal 2025
- Excluded
- Ghost kitchens are discussed as potentially materially different; net revenues exclude discounts and do not reflect expenses.
- Method
- Franchise historical reports unaudited; company uniform accounting GAAP, unaudited. Net revenues food,liquor,merchandise.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue and other measures · 89 locations
- Who is counted
- Systemwide company and franchised
- Excluded
- Open entire year; ghost kitchens excluded; revenues not profit and exclude discounts.
- Method
- Franchise historical reports unaudited; company uniform accounting GAAP, unaudited. Net revenues food,liquor,merchandise.
These groups are never combined.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
United States, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75
Net −24 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($53,500 – $4,440,000) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?
Reported units decreased from 216 to 200 in 2025. What drove the change?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned · PDF p. 74
- [2]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised · PDF p. 73
- [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned Famous Dave’s restaurants open for all of fiscal 2025 · PDF p. 74
- [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Systemwide company and franchised · PDF p. 73
- [5]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 75
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page. Source document: FDD
Territory & operations
107 addresses in Franopolis's imported location list. Coverage may differ from Item 20 outlet counts.
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | net income | $30,677 |
| 2025 | total assets 2025 | $1,447,070 |
| 2025 | total liabilities 2025 | $1,176,013 |
| 2025 | total equity 2025 | $271,057 |
| 2025 | revenue 2025 | $604,239 |
| 2025 | cash 2025 | $21,840 |
| 2025 | retained earnings 2025 | $91,903 |
| 2024 | total assets 2024 | $1,448,429 |
| 2024 | total liabilities 2024 | $1,208,049 |
| 2024 | total equity 2024 | $240,380 |
| 2024 | revenue 2024 | $597,538 |
| 2024 | net income | -$12,556 |
| 2024 | cash 2024 | $12,834 |
| 2024 | retained earnings 2024 | $61,226 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
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At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Reader notes on wording
Our automated check found that these summaries may not match the FDD's exact wording. Read the FDD excerpt itself; it is the authoritative text. Core cost, fee, Item 19 and outlet figures are not affected.
Item 19 · PDF p. 74 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Revenue range low
“Net Revenues (1) for Company-Owned Restaurants for the 2025 Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2025 Company-Owned Restaurants Total/Average Total Number of Company - Owned 30 Average Restaurant Net Revenues $2,613,365 Median Net Revenues $2,439,747 Number Above/Below the Average 13 / 17 Number Above/Below the Average Median 15 / 15 Low/High Annual Franchised Restaurant Net Revenues $868,149 / $4,555,262 ”
Note: Page 74 places the range beneath the Company-Owned Restaurants heading and states 30 company-owned restaurants, but labels the low/high row “Annual Franchised Restaurant Net Revenues”; population cannot be settled.
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.