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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Chef Pams Kitchen vs IHOP

    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.

    Chef Pams Kitchen2025 FDDIHOP2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    $288,725 – $852,600

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    IHOP

    $380,550 – $4,823,457

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    $40,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 9

    IHOP

    $15,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 19

    Royalty · Item 6

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

    IHOP

    4.5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    Before you compare

    • Chef Pams Kitchen figures come from its 2025 FDD and IHOP figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Chef Pams Kitchen and IHOP disclose 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 (Chef Pams Kitchen: 1, IHOP: 39). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    $288,725 – $852,600
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    IHOP

    $380,550 – $4,823,457
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    $40,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 9

    IHOP

    $15,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 19
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    6%
    Royalty
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

    IHOP

    4.5%
    Royalty rate
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    1%
    Brand fund contribution — 1%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

    IHOP

    3.5%
    National Advertising Fee rate — 3.5%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    1
    Outlets at end of 2023
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38

    IHOP

    5,142
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 57
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    +0
    Calculated: 1 at end of 2021 → 1 at end of 2023

    IHOP

    +3,459
    Calculated: 1,683 at end of 2022 → 5,142 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    IHOP

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

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    IHOP

    1960
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Chef Pams Kitchen

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    IHOP

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Chef Pams Kitchen
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $39,084
    other Estimated royalty fees
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 36
    IHOP
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised IHOP Restaurants in the Northeast U.S. Census Bureau reg…
    $2,176,716
    other Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised IHOP Restaurants in the Midwest U.S. Census Bureau region
    $1,551,817
    other Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised IHOP Restaurants using the freestanding prototype, 2024…
    $1,970,976
    other Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 67
    +36 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.

    Chef Pams Kitchen vs IHOP: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Chef Pams Kitchen or IHOP?
    Chef Pams Kitchen: $288,725 – $852,600 (2025 FDD · Item 7); IHOP: $380,550 – $4,823,457 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Chef Pams Kitchen. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Chef Pams Kitchen and IHOP royalties compare?
    Chef Pams Kitchen: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9); IHOP: 4.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Chef Pams Kitchen or IHOP?
    Chef Pams Kitchen: 1 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38); IHOP: 5,142 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 57). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Chef Pams Kitchen and IHOP disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Chef Pams Kitchen has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; IHOP has reviewed Item 19 figures for 39 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 Chef Pams Kitchen report

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

    Full IHOP report

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

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