Franchise opportunities compared

    Carbones Pizza vs CHARLEYS

    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

    Carbones Pizza

    $328,600

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 10

    CHARLEYS

    $203,736 – $984,732

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Carbones Pizza

    Not available

    CHARLEYS

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Carbones Pizza

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8

    CHARLEYS

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Before you compare

    • Carbones Pizza figures come from its 2026 FDD and CHARLEYS figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • CHARLEYS 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 (Carbones Pizza: 4, CHARLEYS: 1). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Carbones Pizza

    $328,600
    Total estimated initial investment — $328,600–$909,250
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 10

    CHARLEYS

    $203,736 – $984,732
    2025 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Carbones Pizza

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    CHARLEYS

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

    Carbones Pizza

    4%
    Royalty — 4% first $1 million; 3% next $1 million; 2% above $2 million annually
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8

    CHARLEYS

    6%
    Royalty rate
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Carbones Pizza

    1%
    Advertising fee — 1% on annual gross sales up to $2 million — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Carbones Pizza

    33
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 27

    CHARLEYS

    813
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Carbones Pizza

    −4
    Calculated: 37 at end of 2022 → 33 at end of 2025

    CHARLEYS

    +141
    Calculated: 672 at end of 2022 → 813 at end of 2024
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Carbones Pizza

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    CHARLEYS

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

    Carbones Pizza

    1977
    From a verified franchisor listing

    CHARLEYS

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

    Carbones Pizza

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Carbones Pizza
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Fast Casual restaurants operating for the entire 12-month period
    $582,861
    other gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 26
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Express restaurants operating for the entire 12-month period
    8 restaurants
    other Reporting restaurants
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 26
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full-Service restaurants operating for the entire 12-month period
    17 restaurants
    other Reporting restaurants
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 27
    +1 more groups in the full report
    CHARLEYS
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $3,077,489
    other Gross sales range high
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48

    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.

    Carbones Pizza vs CHARLEYS: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Carbones Pizza or CHARLEYS?
    Carbones Pizza: $328,600 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 10); CHARLEYS: $203,736 – $984,732 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for CHARLEYS. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Carbones Pizza and CHARLEYS royalties compare?
    Carbones Pizza: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8); CHARLEYS: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Carbones Pizza or CHARLEYS?
    Carbones Pizza: 33 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 27); CHARLEYS: 813 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Carbones Pizza and CHARLEYS disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Carbones Pizza has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 location groups; CHARLEYS has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group. 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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