Franchise opportunities compared
Donatos Pizza vs Gong cha
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.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Donatos Pizza 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 (Donatos Pizza: 11, Gong cha: 7). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Donatos Pizza | GCGong cha |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $546,637 – $1,090,537 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $207,450 – $648,460 Total initial investment ($207,450 low end) 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $18,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 35 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 6% Royalty fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 4% Cooperativemarketing maximum — 4% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 | 1% Brand Marketing Fee current — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 179 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79 | 36 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −75 Calculated: 254 at end of 2023 → 179 at end of 2025 | +34 Calculated: 2 at end of 2023 → 36 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | 1991 From a verified franchisor listing | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All covered $2,492,132 other All covered High · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned $2,384,141 other Company-owned High · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchise-owned $2,476,922 other Franchise-owned High · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74 +8 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second Quartile of 2025 Established Gong Cha Stores in the United States $364,163 other Lowest Net Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top Two Quartiles of 2025 Established Gong Cha Stores in the United States $534,690 other Net Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Third Quartile of 2025 Established Gong Cha Stores in the United States 31 stores other Stores at or above average · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 +4 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.
Donatos Pizza vs Gong cha: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Donatos Pizza or Gong cha?
- Donatos Pizza: $546,637 – $1,090,537 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Gong cha: $207,450 – $648,460 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Gong cha. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Donatos Pizza or Gong cha?
- Donatos Pizza: 179 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79); Gong cha: 36 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Donatos Pizza and Gong cha disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Donatos Pizza has reviewed Item 19 figures for 11 location groups; Gong cha has reviewed Item 19 figures for 7 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.