Franchise opportunities compared
FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant vs Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe
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 Restaurant 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 (FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant: 40, Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe: 16). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | FSFIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant |  Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $405,350 – $1,577,750 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $646,000 – $1,112,750 Total initial investment for one Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe — low estimate 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 15 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $20,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 24 | $35,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29 | 6% Royalty percentage of gross sales 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee | 3% Advertising fee percentage of gross sales — 3% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 1,291 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81 | 35 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 39 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +82 Calculated: 1,209 at end of 2023 → 1,291 at end of 2025 | +6 Calculated: 29 at end of 2023 → 35 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) | Not available Not in reviewed records | 2008 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 — Firehouse Subs franchised Restaurants in the 2025 Section B sample, categorized… $288,440 other COGS · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 77 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Firehouse Subs franchised Restaurants in the 2025 Section B sample, categorized… 9.7 percent other Occupancy % · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 77 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Firehouse Subs franchised Restaurants in the 2025 Section B sample, categorized… 7.7 percent other Occupancy % · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 77 +37 more groups in the full report | Franchised (8 locations) — other measures — Quartile2 of31full-yearfranchises $1,456,404 other Quartile2 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 36 Franchised (31 locations) — other measures and revenue $1,447,902 other Table1 Average · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 36 Franchised (27 locations) — other measures and revenue $1,435,041 other Table2 Average · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 36 +13 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.
FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant vs Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe: common questions
- Which costs less to open, FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant or Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe?
- FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant: $405,350 – $1,577,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe: $646,000 – $1,112,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 15). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant and Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe royalties compare?
- FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29); Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant or Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe?
- FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant: 1,291 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81); Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe: 35 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 39). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant and Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- FIREHOUSE SUBS Restaurant has reviewed Item 19 figures for 40 location groups; Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe has reviewed Item 19 figures for 16 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.