Franchise opportunities compared
Fat Shack vs Firehouse Subs
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.
- Firehouse Subs 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 (Fat Shack: 2, Firehouse Subs: 11). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Fat Shack |  Firehouse Subs |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $183,250 – $487,600 TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 18 | $405,350 – $1,577,750 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $20,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 24 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% · percent of Gross Sales Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 | $6.00 Royalty rate: 6% of Gross Sales 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 1.5% of gross sales Marketing and Promotion Fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 31 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 48 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +1 Calculated: 30 at end of 2023 → 31 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) | 2015 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 11 | 1995 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | 2013 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Franchised (24 locations) — revenue $614,309 median Annual Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 46 Company-owned (2 locations) — revenue $620,432 mean annual Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 46 | Franchised (1,033 locations) — other measures $154,410 other Counter Service · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73 Franchised (704 locations) — EBITDA and revenue and other measures and costs $103,119 other EBITDA, All · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 76 Franchised (35 locations) — other measures — 35 franchised Free Standing Restaurants with a Drive Thru continuously operated… $1,054,318 other Free-Standing w/Drive Thru · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74 +8 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.