Franchise opportunities compared
Donatos Pizza vs Tim Hortons USA, Inc.
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 Tim Hortons USA, Inc. 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, Tim Hortons USA, Inc.: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Donatos Pizza |  Tim Hortons USA, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $546,637 – $1,090,537 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $60,150 – $3,312,500 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $50,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 27 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 4.5% Franchise royalty rate low 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 4% Cooperativemarketing maximum — 4% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 | 4% Advertising contribution rate — 4% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 179 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79 | 669 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −75 Calculated: 254 at end of 2023 → 179 at end of 2025 | −615 Calculated: 1,284 at end of 2023 → 669 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 | 1984 From a verified franchisor listing |
| 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 — Franchised Standard Shops reporting at least 10 months of 2025 sales; Gross Sal… 17 units other New Model shops in 2025 Shops · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 82 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Standard Shops in 2025 Shops with COGS and labor expense information 266 units other Shops at/above average COGS · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 82 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2025 Shops reporting comparable same-month Standard Shop Gross Sales for 2024 a… 2 percent other Same shop gross sales growth average 2024–2025 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 83 |
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 Tim Hortons USA, Inc.: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Donatos Pizza or Tim Hortons USA, Inc.?
- Donatos Pizza: $546,637 – $1,090,537 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Tim Hortons USA, Inc.: $60,150 – $3,312,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Tim Hortons USA, Inc.. 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 Tim Hortons USA, Inc.?
- Donatos Pizza: 179 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 79); Tim Hortons USA, Inc.: 669 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Donatos Pizza and Tim Hortons USA, Inc. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Donatos Pizza has reviewed Item 19 figures for 11 location groups; Tim Hortons USA, Inc. has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 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.