Franchise opportunities compared
System Restaurant vs Taco Cabana
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
System Restaurant
$670,000 – $2,130,000
2026 FDD · Item 7Taco Cabana
$1,266,500 – $1,334,500
2025 FDD · Item 7Initial franchise fee · Item 5
System Restaurant
$25,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 19Taco Cabana
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
System Restaurant
9.5%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22Taco Cabana
5%
2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11Before you compare
- System Restaurant figures come from its 2026 FDD and Taco Cabana figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
- System Restaurant and Taco Cabana 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 (System Restaurant: 9, Taco Cabana: 6). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
Taco CabanaSystem Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System scale & health
Taco CabanaSystem Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
System Restaurant
Taco Cabana
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
Taco CabanaItem 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.
System Restaurant vs Taco Cabana: common questions
- Which costs less to open, System Restaurant or Taco Cabana?
- System Restaurant: $670,000 – $2,130,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Taco Cabana: $1,266,500 – $1,334,500 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for System Restaurant. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do System Restaurant and Taco Cabana royalties compare?
- System Restaurant: 9.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22); Taco Cabana: 5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, System Restaurant or Taco Cabana?
- System Restaurant: 5,031 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58); Taco Cabana: 146 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 53). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do System Restaurant and Taco Cabana disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- System Restaurant has reviewed Item 19 figures for 9 location groups; Taco Cabana has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 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 System Restaurant report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

Full Taco Cabana report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure


