Which costs less to open, Five Guys or Long John Silver's?

Five Guys: $52,100 – $927,850 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Long John Silver's: $665,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Five Guys. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

Which has more locations, Five Guys or Long John Silver's?

Five Guys: 1,583 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54); Long John Silver's: 479 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Five Guys and Long John Silver's disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Five Guys makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Long John Silver's makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Five Guys vs Long John Silver's

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.

Five Guys2026 FDD

Long John Silver's2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Five Guys

$52,100 – $927,850

2026 FDD · Item 7

Long John Silver's

$665,500

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Five Guys

$25,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

Long John Silver's

Not available

Royalty · Item 6

Five Guys

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

Long John Silver's

Not available

Before you compare

Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
Five Guys discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
Only neither brand has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Five Guys

Long John Silver's

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Five Guys

$52,100 – $927,850

2026 FDD · Item 7

Long John Silver's

$665,500

Amount (3) Method of Payment (4) When Due (5) To Whom Payment is to be made TOTAL 13 — 665500

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Five Guys

$25,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

Long John Silver's

Not available

No single standard fee identified

Royalty (Item 6)

Five Guys

s. If the Restaurant is located in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico, the Royalty Fee is — 8%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

Long John Silver's

Not available

No reviewed royalty record

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Five Guys

$250

, depending on your advertising needs When billed Prohibited Product or Service Fine — 250

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

Long John Silver's

unts, and other items. Advertising 5% of Gross Receipts for Traditional Restaurants. — 1% — 1%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

System scale & health

Disclosure

Five Guys

Long John Silver's

Total outlets (Item 20)

Five Guys

1,583

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54

Long John Silver's

479

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Five Guys

+62

Calculated: 1,521 at end of 2023 → 1,583 at end of 2025

Long John Silver's

−60

Calculated: 539 at end of 2023 → 479 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Five Guys

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Long John Silver's

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Five Guys

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Long John Silver's

1969

From a verified franchisor listing

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Five Guys

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Long John Silver's

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Five Guys

Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

Long John Silver's

Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

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.