Franchise opportunities compared
Five Guys vs PANERA BREAD BAKERY-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.
Initial investment · Item 7
Five Guys
$52,100 – $927,850
2026 FDD · Item 7PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
$1,223,702 – $4,619,880
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Five Guys
$25,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
Five Guys
8%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
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 PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
Financial commitment
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
System scale & health
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Five Guys
PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
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.
Five Guys vs PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Five Guys or PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE?
- Five Guys: $52,100 – $927,850 (2026 FDD · Item 7); PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE: $1,223,702 – $4,619,880 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24). 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 PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE?
- Five Guys: 1,583 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54); PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE: 2,214 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Five Guys and PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Five Guys makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE 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.
Keep researching
Full Five Guys report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure



