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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar vs Buffalo Wild Wings

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar2026 FDDBuffalo Wild Wings2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    $616,682 – $5,822,933

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    $31,200 – $4,500,320

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar and Buffalo Wild Wings disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: 5, Buffalo Wild Wings: 12). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    $616,682 – $5,822,933
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    $31,200 – $4,500,320
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    4%
    Royalty rate
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    5%
    Royalty grosssales
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    4.25%
    National Advertising Fund rate through December 31, 2026 — 4.25%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    $15,000
    Opening advertising
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    1,480
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    219
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    −65
    Calculated: 1,545 at end of 2023 → 1,480 at end of 2025

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    −966
    Calculated: 1,185 at end of 2023 → 219 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    1992
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee's Restaurants — South
    $2,450,367
    other Annualized average gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee's Restaurants — West
    $3,292,418
    other Annualized average gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee's Restaurants — Midwest
    $2,662,918
    other Annualized average gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    +2 more groups in the full report
    Buffalo Wild Wings
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 1st Quartile of Full-year franchised Sports Bars, including4nontraditional; no…
    $4,875,869
    other 1st Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2nd Quartile of Full-year franchised Sports Bars, including4nontraditional; no…
    133 units
    other 2nd Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 3rd Quartile of Full-year franchised Sports Bars, including4nontraditional; no…
    133 units
    other 3rd Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    +9 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar vs Buffalo Wild Wings: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar or Buffalo Wild Wings?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: $616,682 – $5,822,933 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Buffalo Wild Wings: $31,200 – $4,500,320 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Buffalo Wild Wings. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar and Buffalo Wild Wings royalties compare?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15); Buffalo Wild Wings: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar or Buffalo Wild Wings?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: 1,480 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54); Buffalo Wild Wings: 219 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar and Buffalo Wild Wings disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Buffalo Wild Wings has reviewed Item 19 figures for 12 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Buffalo Wild Wings report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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