Franchise opportunities compared

    Black Bear Diner vs Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Black Bear Diner

    $1,546,200 – $2,349,000

    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    $638,425 – $1,938,813

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Black Bear Diner

    $55,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    $30,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16

    Royalty · Item 6

    Black Bear Diner

    4.5%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    5% · or the next business day if Wednesday is not a business day), calculated on the previous week ending Wednesday.

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Before you compare

    • Black Bear Diner figures come from its 2025 FDD and Kekes Breakfast Cafe figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Black Bear Diner: 27, Kekes Breakfast Cafe: 4). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Black Bear Diner

    $1,546,200 – $2,349,000
    Total Estimated Initial Investment (low)
    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    $638,425 – $1,938,813
    Total estimated initial investment: $638,425 to $1,938,813.
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Black Bear Diner

    $55,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    $30,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Black Bear Diner

    4.5%
    Royalty
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    5% · or the next business day if Wednesday is not a business day), calculated on the previous week ending Wednesday.
    Royalty Fee: 5% to 5.5% of Gross Sales, payable weekly on Wednesday
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Black Bear Diner

    1%
    Marketing Fund Contribution — 1%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    $7,500
    d Opening Marketing Advertising We reserve the right to require you to give us up to — 7500
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Black Bear Diner

    162
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

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

    Black Bear Diner

    +9
    Calculated: 153 at end of 2022 → 162 at end of 2024

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

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

    Black Bear Diner

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

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

    Black Bear Diner

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

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

    Black Bear Diner

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Kekes Breakfast Cafe

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Black Bear Diner
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-affiliated restaurants, FY2024 All third group
    $2,785,159
    other Company-affiliated Restaurants Fiscal Year 2024 All third average Gross Sales per Restaurant
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-affiliated restaurants, FY2024 Top third group
    $3,596,276
    other Company-affiliated Restaurants Fiscal Year 2024 Top third average Gross Sales per Restaurant
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Restaurants, FY2024 All group
    $4,413,004
    other Franchised Restaurants Fiscal Year 2024 highest Gross Sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 49
    +24 more groups in the full report
    Kekes Breakfast Cafe
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised restaurants reporting full-year iLumen sales — Top half
    $554,447
    other Food dollars
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 59
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised restaurants reporting full-year iLumen sales — Bottom half
    19.3 percent
    other EBITDA before Royalties, Advertising, Occupancy Cost and Management Fees percentofsales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 60
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised restaurants reporting full-year iLumen sales
    52 percent
    other Met/exceeded average share
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 60
    +1 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.

    Black Bear Diner vs Kekes Breakfast Cafe: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Black Bear Diner or Kekes Breakfast Cafe?
    Black Bear Diner: $1,546,200 – $2,349,000 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19); Kekes Breakfast Cafe: $638,425 – $1,938,813 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Kekes Breakfast Cafe. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Black Bear Diner and Kekes Breakfast Cafe royalties compare?
    Black Bear Diner: 4.5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14); Kekes Breakfast Cafe: 5% · or the next business day if Wednesday is not a business day), calculated on the previous week ending Wednesday. (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Black Bear Diner and Kekes Breakfast Cafe disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Black Bear Diner has reviewed Item 19 figures for 27 location groups; Kekes Breakfast Cafe has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 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

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