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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Huddle House 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.

    Huddle House2025 FDDThe Counter2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Huddle House

    $380,880 – $2,381,275

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    The Counter

    $712,133 – $1,988,750

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Huddle House

    $35,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

    The Counter

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Huddle House

    4.75%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    The Counter

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37

    Before you compare

    • Huddle House figures come from its 2025 FDD and The Counter figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Huddle House 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 (Huddle House: 65, The Counter: 4). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Huddle House

    $380,880 – $2,381,275
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    $35,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    4.75%
    Royalty
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    3.5%
    Advertising Fund — traditional Unit — 3.5%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    The Counter

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

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Huddle House

    269
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 82

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    −17
    Calculated: 286 at end of 2022 → 269 at end of 2024

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    1966
    From a verified franchisor listing

    The Counter

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

    Huddle House

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    The Counter

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Huddle House
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Huddle House units participating in the VDC Product Offering during…
    $249
    other 2024 Franchised Huddle House Units participating in VDC 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-Operated Huddle House Units participating in Papa Corazón’s LPL in 2024
    $37,628
    other 2024 Company-Operated Huddle House Units participating in Papa Corazón’s LPL 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-operated Huddle House units participating in Papa Corazón’s LPL during…
    $11,790
    other 2024 Company-Operated Huddle House Units participating in Papa Corazón’s LPL 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80
    +62 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.

    Huddle House vs The Counter: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Huddle House or The Counter?
    Huddle House: $380,880 – $2,381,275 (2025 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 Huddle House. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Huddle House and The Counter royalties compare?
    Huddle House: 4.75% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21); The Counter: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 37). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Huddle House and The Counter disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Huddle House has reviewed Item 19 figures for 65 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 Huddle House 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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