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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar vs M elting Pot Restaurant

    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 FDDMEM elting Pot Restaurant2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    $616,682 – $5,822,933

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    $1,617,128 – $2,740,600

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar discloses 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, M elting Pot Restaurant: 10). 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

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    $1,617,128 – $2,740,600
    Total estimated initial investment: $1,617,128–$2,740,600
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    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

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    5%
    Royalty and Service Fee: 5% of Gross Revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15
    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

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    2.2%
    Brand Development Contribution current: 2.2% of Gross Revenues — 2.2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    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

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    89
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 57
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

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

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    −4
    Calculated: 93 at end of 2023 → 89 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    M elting Pot Restaurant

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

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    M elting Pot Restaurant

    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
    MEM elting Pot Restaurant
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-Owned Restaurants; food and beverage costs as a percentage of yearly gr…
    $21
    other Company-Owned Restaurant food and beverage costs
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned restaurants; fiscal year ended March 31, 2025.
    $21
    other Company-Owned Restaurant food and beverage costs
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-Owned Restaurants, Top Half, full 12-month fiscal year ended March 31,…
    $3,357,256
    other Company-Owned Restaurants Top Half
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56
    +7 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 M elting Pot Restaurant: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar or M elting Pot Restaurant?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: $616,682 – $5,822,933 (2026 FDD · Item 7); M elting Pot Restaurant: $1,617,128 – $2,740,600 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar. 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 M elting Pot Restaurant royalties compare?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15); M elting Pot Restaurant: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar or M elting Pot Restaurant?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: 1,480 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54); M elting Pot Restaurant: 89 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 57). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar and M elting Pot Restaurant disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; M elting Pot Restaurant has reviewed Item 19 figures for 10 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

    ME

    Full M elting Pot Restaurant report

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

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