Franchise opportunities compared
Donatos Pizza vs The Counter
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 and The Counter 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 (Donatos Pizza: 11, The Counter: 4). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Donatos Pizza |  The Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $546,637 – $1,090,537 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $712,133 – $1,988,750 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 6% Weekly royalty rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 4% Cooperativemarketing maximum — 4% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 | 1% Current advertising fee — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 179 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −75 Calculated: 254 at end of 2023 → 179 at end of 2025 | Not available Only one year reported |
| 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 — Existing franchised outlets meeting Item 19 criteria 6 stores other Number of stores measured · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 103 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All existing The Counter franchised stores located in the United States that di… $2,311,053 other gross sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 103 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All franchised outlets in Item 19 50 percent other Percentage meeting/exceeding average gross sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 103 +1 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 The Counter: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Donatos Pizza or The Counter?
- Donatos Pizza: $546,637 – $1,090,537 (2026 FDD · Item 7); The Counter: $712,133 – $1,988,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Donatos Pizza. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Do Donatos Pizza and The Counter disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Donatos Pizza has reviewed Item 19 figures for 11 location groups; The Counter has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 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.