Franchise opportunities compared
IHOP and International House of Pancakes vs Wings Etc.
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 Wings Etc. 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, Wings Etc.: 17). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  IHOP and International House of Pancakes |  Wings Etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $616,682 – $4,632,445 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $373,650 – $1,623,650 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $20,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 4.5% OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty — 4.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 | $4.00 rant opens. ITEM 6 OTHER FEES Type of Fee(1) Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty Fee Grill and Pub: — 4 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 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 | $2.00 ic funds transfer every Monday for the preceding Reporting Period(4) National Brand Fund Fee(5) — 2 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 126 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55 | 164 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 46 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +36 Calculated: 90 at end of 2023 → 126 at end of 2025 | +4 Calculated: 160 at end of 2023 → 164 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 | 2004 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 — 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 — Company-Owned Third 25% tier $179,916 other Third25% Management Wages average · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-Owned Top 25% tier $451,569 other Top25% Restaurant Level EBITDAR average · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Second 25% quartile 5.6 percent other 2nd - Quartile Second 25% · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 42 +14 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.
IHOP and International House of Pancakes vs Wings Etc.: common questions
- Which costs less to open, IHOP and International House of Pancakes or Wings Etc.?
- IHOP and International House of Pancakes: $616,682 – $4,632,445 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Wings Etc.: $373,650 – $1,623,650 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Wings Etc.. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do IHOP and International House of Pancakes and Wings Etc. royalties compare?
- IHOP and International House of Pancakes: 4.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19); Wings Etc.: $4.00 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, IHOP and International House of Pancakes or Wings Etc.?
- IHOP and International House of Pancakes: 126 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55); Wings Etc.: 164 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 46). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do IHOP and International House of Pancakes and Wings Etc. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- IHOP and International House of Pancakes has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Wings Etc. has reviewed Item 19 figures for 17 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.