Which costs less to open, Church’s Chicken or Little Caesars?

Church’s Chicken: $1,114,650 – $1,636,300 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25); Little Caesars: $376,500 – $1,769,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Little Caesars. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

How do Church’s Chicken and Little Caesars royalties compare?

Church’s Chicken: 5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19); Little Caesars: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.

Which has more locations, Church’s Chicken or Little Caesars?

Church’s Chicken: 873 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62); Little Caesars: 4,374 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Church’s Chicken and Little Caesars disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Church’s Chicken has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file; Little Caesars makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Church’s Chicken vs Little Caesars

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.

Church’s Chicken2025 FDD

Little Caesars2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Church’s Chicken

$1,114,650 – $1,636,300

2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25

Little Caesars

$376,500 – $1,769,200

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Church’s Chicken

$20,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

Little Caesars

$20,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

Royalty · Item 6

Church’s Chicken

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Little Caesars

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

Before you compare

Church’s Chicken figures come from its 2025 FDD and Little Caesars figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
Only neither brand has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Church’s Chicken

Little Caesars

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Church’s Chicken

$1,114,650 – $1,636,300

Estimated initial investment, Blaze Compact model

2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25

Little Caesars

$376,500 – $1,769,200

Restaurant — Total initial investment: $376,500 to $1,769,200

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Church’s Chicken

$20,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

Little Caesars

$20,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

Royalty (Item 6)

Church’s Chicken

Royalty fee

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Little Caesars

Weekly royalty greater of 6% of Gross Sales or $300

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Church’s Chicken

Not available

No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

Little Caesars

Advertising fee up to 7% of Gross Sales — 7%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

System scale & health

Disclosure

Church’s Chicken

Little Caesars

Total outlets (Item 20)

Church’s Chicken

873

Outlets at end of 2024

2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62

Little Caesars

4,374

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Church’s Chicken

−52

Calculated: 925 at end of 2022 → 873 at end of 2024

Little Caesars

+3,799

Calculated: 575 at end of 2023 → 4,374 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Church’s Chicken

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Little Caesars

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Church’s Chicken

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Little Caesars

1962

From a verified franchisor listing

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Church’s Chicken

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Little Caesars

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Church’s Chicken

No reviewed Item 19 figures

Little Caesars

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.

Church’s Chicken vs Little Caesars: common questions

Which costs less to open, Church’s Chicken or Little Caesars?: Church’s Chicken: $1,114,650 – $1,636,300 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25); Little Caesars: $376,500 – $1,769,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Little Caesars. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Church’s Chicken and Little Caesars royalties compare?: Church’s Chicken: 5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19); Little Caesars: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Church’s Chicken or Little Caesars?: Church’s Chicken: 873 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62); Little Caesars: 4,374 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
Do Church’s Chicken and Little Caesars disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Church’s Chicken has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file; Little Caesars 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