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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar vs Red Robin Restaurants

    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 FDDRed Robin Restaurants2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    $616,682 – $5,822,933

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Red Robin Restaurants

    $2,705,000 – $5,785,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available

    Red Robin Restaurants

    $35,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12

    Royalty · Item 6

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Red Robin Restaurants

    Not available

    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.
    • Only Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

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

    Red Robin Restaurants

    $2,705,000 – $5,785,000
    Red Robin freestanding prototype building Total Estimated Initial Investment (Excluding Real Estate and Liquor License): $2,705,000–$5,785,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Red Robin Restaurants

    $35,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

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

    Red Robin Restaurants

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    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

    Red Robin Restaurants

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    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

    Red Robin Restaurants

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

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

    Red Robin Restaurants

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Red Robin Restaurants

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

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Red Robin Restaurants

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

    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Red Robin Restaurants

    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
    Red Robin Restaurants

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    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 Red Robin Restaurants: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar or Red Robin Restaurants?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: $616,682 – $5,822,933 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Red Robin Restaurants: $2,705,000 – $5,785,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19). 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.
    Do Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar and Red Robin Restaurants disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Red Robin Restaurants makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. 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 Red Robin Restaurants report

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

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