Franchise opportunities compared
Hickory River Smokehouse vs Jimmy John'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.
Initial investment · Item 7
Hickory River Smokehouse
$315,000 – $1,084,500
2026 FDD · Item 7Jimmy John's
$206,200 – $686,000
2026 FDD · Item 7Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Hickory River Smokehouse
$30,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 8Jimmy John's
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
Hickory River Smokehouse
5%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8Jimmy John's
6%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 35Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Hickory River Smokehouse and Jimmy John's 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 (Hickory River Smokehouse: 1, Jimmy John's: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John'sHickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
System scale & health
Hickory River SmokehouseJimmy John'sHickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Hickory River Smokehouse
Jimmy John's
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
Hickory River SmokehouseJimmy John'sItem 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.
Hickory River Smokehouse vs Jimmy John's: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Hickory River Smokehouse or Jimmy John's?
- Hickory River Smokehouse: $315,000 – $1,084,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Jimmy John's: $206,200 – $686,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Jimmy John's. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Hickory River Smokehouse and Jimmy John's royalties compare?
- Hickory River Smokehouse: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8); Jimmy John's: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 35). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Hickory River Smokehouse or Jimmy John's?
- Hickory River Smokehouse: 5 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 34); Jimmy John's: 2,777 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Hickory River Smokehouse and Jimmy John's disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Hickory River Smokehouse has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Jimmy John's 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.
Keep researching
Full Hickory River Smokehouse report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full Jimmy John's report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
