Franchise opportunities compared
IHOP and International House of Pancakes vs Jl Beers
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 and Jl Beers 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 (IHOP and International House of Pancakes: 8, Jl Beers: 1). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  IHOP and International House of Pancakes |  Jl Beers |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $616,682 – $4,632,445 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $1,223,000 – $3,308,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $50 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 9 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | $4.50 OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty — 4.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 | $4.00 Royalty Fee — 4% of Net Sales 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $3.50 revenue from the Restaurant except sales or use tax. National Advertising Fee Up to — 3.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 126 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55 | 10 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 32 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +36 Calculated: 90 at end of 2023 → 126 at end of 2025 | +0 Calculated: 10 at end of 2023 → 10 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) | 1960 From a verified franchisor listing | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| 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 — 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record 50 percent other Table A restaurants meeting or exceeding average Net Sales for calendar year 2024 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 30 |
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.