Franopolis
    vsCH

    Franchise opportunities compared

    CHARLEYS vs Cheba Hut

    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.

    CHARLEYS2025 FDDCHCheba Hut2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    CHARLEYS

    $203,736 – $984,732

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Cheba Hut

    $631,150 – $2,086,100

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    CHARLEYS

    Not available

    Cheba Hut

    $50,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Royalty · Item 6

    CHARLEYS

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Cheba Hut

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    Before you compare

    • CHARLEYS figures come from its 2025 FDD and Cheba Hut figures from its 2026 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 (CHARLEYS: 1, Cheba Hut: 9). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    CHARLEYS

    $203,736 – $984,732
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Cheba Hut

    $631,150 – $2,086,100
    Total estimated initial investment — single-store low estimate
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Cheba Hut

    $50,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11
    Royalty (Item 6)

    CHARLEYS

    6%
    Royalty rate
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Cheba Hut

    5%
    Royalty: 5% of prior-week Net Sales, due each Wednesday
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    Cheba Hut

    4.2%
    Brand Fund contribution may increase up to 4.20% of weekly Net Sales upon written notice — 4.2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    CHARLEYS

    813
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49

    Cheba Hut

    83
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    CHARLEYS

    +141
    Calculated: 672 at end of 2022 → 813 at end of 2024

    Cheba Hut

    −19
    Calculated: 102 at end of 2022 → 83 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Cheba Hut

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

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Cheba Hut

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

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Cheba Hut

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    CHARLEYS
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $3,077,489
    other Gross sales range high
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    CHCheba Hut
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Full reporting
    49.33 percent
    other Full reporting
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised
    $610,724
    other Franchised
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate
    $2,040,101
    other Affiliate
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54
    +6 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.

    CHARLEYS vs Cheba Hut: common questions

    Which costs less to open, CHARLEYS or Cheba Hut?
    CHARLEYS: $203,736 – $984,732 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Cheba Hut: $631,150 – $2,086,100 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). 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 CHARLEYS and Cheba Hut royalties compare?
    CHARLEYS: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12); Cheba Hut: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, CHARLEYS or Cheba Hut?
    CHARLEYS: 813 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49); Cheba Hut: 83 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do CHARLEYS and Cheba Hut disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    CHARLEYS has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Cheba Hut has reviewed Item 19 figures for 9 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 CHARLEYS report

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

    CH

    Full Cheba Hut report

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

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    Plain-language meaning of each Item