Franopolis
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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Golden Corral vs The Counter

    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.

    Golden Corral2026 FDDThe Counter2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Golden Corral

    $2,237,950 – $6,162,930

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    The Counter

    $712,133 – $1,988,750

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Golden Corral

    $50,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12

    The Counter

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Golden Corral

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    The Counter

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Golden Corral and The Counter 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 (Golden Corral: 9, The Counter: 4). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Golden Corral

    $2,237,950 – $6,162,930
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    The Counter

    $712,133 – $1,988,750
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Golden Corral

    $50,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12

    The Counter

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Golden Corral

    4%
    Royaltyweekly GrossSales
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    The Counter

    6%
    Weekly royalty rate
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Golden Corral

    $10,000
    Openingadvertising first90days
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    The Counter

    1%
    Current advertising fee — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Golden Corral

    348
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 80

    The Counter

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Golden Corral

    −7
    Calculated: 355 at end of 2023 → 348 at end of 2025

    The Counter

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Golden Corral

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    The Counter

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

    Golden Corral

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    The Counter

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Golden Corral

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    The Counter

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Golden Corral
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Small
    $3,698,944
    other Table1 Small 2025 Average Gross Sales dollars
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 71
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Nontraditional
    $4,475,585
    other Table1 Nontraditional 2025 Average Gross Sales dollars
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 71
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Metro
    $1,884,452
    other Table1 Metro Average Food Cost dollars
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 71
    +6 more groups in the full report
    The Counter
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Existing franchised outlets meeting Item 19 criteria
    6 stores
    other Number of stores measured
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 103
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All existing The Counter franchised stores located in the United States that di…
    $2,311,053
    other gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 103
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All franchised outlets in Item 19
    50 percent
    other Percentage meeting/exceeding average gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 103
    +1 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.

    Golden Corral vs The Counter: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Golden Corral or The Counter?
    Golden Corral: $2,237,950 – $6,162,930 (2026 FDD · Item 7); The Counter: $712,133 – $1,988,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for The Counter. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Golden Corral and The Counter royalties compare?
    Golden Corral: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13); The Counter: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Golden Corral and The Counter disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Golden Corral has reviewed Item 19 figures for 9 location groups; The Counter has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 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 Golden Corral report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full The Counter report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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    Plain-language meaning of each Item