Franchise opportunities compared
IHOP vs The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.
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 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 (IHOP: 15, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  IHOP |  The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $380,550 – $4,823,457 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $1,797,654 ed Third Parties TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT UNDER THE FRANCHISE PROGRAM (19) — 1797654 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $15,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 19 | $20 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 4.5% Royalty rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21 | 5% ITEM 6. OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty and Service Fee 2 — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 3.5% National Advertising Fee rate — 3.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21 | 3% of “bdf”). 2 up to — 3% he Royalty and Service Fee payments. Brand Development Contribution 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 1,693 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68 | 93 Outlets at end of 2026 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −10 Calculated: 1,703 at end of 2023 → 1,693 at end of 2025 | +1 Calculated: 92 at end of 2024 → 93 at end of 2026 |
| 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 | 1984 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 — Traditional franchised IHOP Restaurants in the Northeast U.S. Census Bureau reg… $2,176,716 other Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised IHOP Restaurants in the Midwest U.S. Census Bureau region $1,551,817 other Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised IHOP Restaurants using the freestanding prototype, 2024… $1,970,976 other Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 67 +12 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Top Third 12 restaurants other Franchised Top Third · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Middle Third 14 restaurants other Franchised Middle Third · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Bottom Third $1,570,349 other Franchised Bottom Third · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50 +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.
IHOP vs The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: common questions
- Which costs less to open, IHOP or The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.?
- IHOP: $380,550 – $4,823,457 (2026 FDD · Item 7); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: $1,797,654 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for IHOP. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do IHOP and The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. royalties compare?
- IHOP: 4.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, IHOP or The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.?
- IHOP: 1,693 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 93 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do IHOP and The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- IHOP has reviewed Item 19 figures for 15 location groups; The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. 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.