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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Famous Daves 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.

    Famous Daves2026 FDDIHOP2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Famous Daves

    $53,500 – $4,440,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    IHOP

    $380,550 – $4,823,457

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Famous Daves

    Not available

    IHOP

    $15,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 19

    Royalty · Item 6

    Famous Daves

    Not available

    IHOP

    4.5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Famous Daves 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 (Famous Daves: 4, IHOP: 31). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Famous Daves

    $53,500 – $4,440,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    IHOP

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

    Famous Daves

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    IHOP

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

    Famous Daves

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    IHOP

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

    Famous Daves

    2%
    Marketing Fund Fee annual increase up to 1/2% — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    IHOP

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

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Famous Daves

    100
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75

    IHOP

    5,028
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Famous Daves

    −12
    Calculated: 112 at end of 2023 → 100 at end of 2025

    IHOP

    −36
    Calculated: 5,064 at end of 2023 → 5,028 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Famous Daves

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    IHOP

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

    Famous Daves

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    IHOP

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

    Famous Daves

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    IHOP

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Famous Daves
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned
    $2,613,365
    other net revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised
    30 restaurants
    other Below average
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-owned Famous Dave’s restaurants open for all of fiscal 2025
    15 restaurants
    other Below median
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74
    +1 more groups in the full report
    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
    +28 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.

    Famous Daves vs IHOP: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Famous Daves or IHOP?
    Famous Daves: $53,500 – $4,440,000 (2026 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 Famous Daves. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Famous Daves or IHOP?
    Famous Daves: 100 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75); IHOP: 5,028 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Famous Daves and IHOP disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Famous Daves has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 location groups; IHOP has reviewed Item 19 figures for 31 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 Famous Daves 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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