Is BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS or Surf City Squeeze cheaper to open?

BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS costs $122,200–$344,500 and Surf City Squeeze costs $89,410–$390,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Surf City Squeeze has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS or Surf City Squeeze?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 0.0% for BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS and 12.0% for Surf City Squeeze. Lower is safer, so BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS or Surf City Squeeze?

FranchiseVerdict grades BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS A and Surf City Squeeze D, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS vs Surf City Squeeze

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS and Surf City Squeeze are quick-service restaurants franchises. BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS requires an investment of $122K – $345K while Surf City Squeeze requires $89K – $390K. On SBA loan performance, BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS has a lower charge-off rate (0.0%) compared to Surf City Squeeze (12.0%). FranchiseVerdict rates BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS A (Strongest tier) and Surf City Squeeze D (Below average).

Metric	BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS	Surf City Squeeze
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	DBelow average
Investment Range	$122K – $345K	$89K – $390K
Franchise Fee	$30K	$30K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/A	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	0.0% (10 loans)	12.0% (29 loans)
Total Units	88	63
Unit Growth (YoY)	+3 units	-2 units
Year Began Franchising	2013	1994
FDD Year	2026	2025