Franchise opportunities compared
Gong cha vs IHOP and International House of Pancakes
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.
- IHOP and International House of Pancakes 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 (Gong cha: 7, IHOP and International House of Pancakes: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | GCGong cha |  IHOP and International House of Pancakes |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $207,450 – $648,460 Total initial investment ($207,450 low end) 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31 | $616,682 – $4,632,445 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $18,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 35 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% Royalty fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22 | 4.5% OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty — 4.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 1% Brand Marketing Fee current — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22 | 3.5% revenue from the Restaurant except sales or use tax. National Advertising Fee Up to — 3.5% — 3.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 36 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81 | 126 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +34 Calculated: 2 at end of 2023 → 36 at end of 2025 | +36 Calculated: 90 at end of 2023 → 126 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 | 1960 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 — Second Quartile of 2025 Established Gong Cha Stores in the United States $364,163 other Lowest Net Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top Two Quartiles of 2025 Established Gong Cha Stores in the United States $534,690 other Net Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Third Quartile of 2025 Established Gong Cha Stores in the United States 31 stores other Stores at or above average · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 +4 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Northea stnontraditionalIHOPfranchised $1,116,542 other Northea st 2024 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — WestnontraditionalIHOPfranchised 1 restaurants other West 2024 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — SouthnontraditionalIHOPfranchised 35 percent other South 2024 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54 +5 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.
Gong cha vs IHOP and International House of Pancakes: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Gong cha or IHOP and International House of Pancakes?
- Gong cha: $207,450 – $648,460 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31); IHOP and International House of Pancakes: $616,682 – $4,632,445 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Gong cha. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Gong cha and IHOP and International House of Pancakes royalties compare?
- Gong cha: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22); IHOP and International House of Pancakes: 4.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Gong cha or IHOP and International House of Pancakes?
- Gong cha: 36 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81); IHOP and International House of Pancakes: 126 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Gong cha and IHOP and International House of Pancakes disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Gong cha has reviewed Item 19 figures for 7 location groups; IHOP and International House of Pancakes has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 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.