Is Black Bear Diner or Buffalo’s Cafe cheaper to open?

Black Bear Diner costs $1,495,700–$2,238,600 and Buffalo’s Cafe costs $857,300–$2,930,600 to open (FDD Item 7). Buffalo’s Cafe has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Black Bear Diner or Buffalo’s Cafe?

Black Bear Diner reports $2,820,694 average annual unit revenue vs $2,350,384 for Buffalo’s Cafe (FDD Item 19). Black Bear Diner is higher. For Buffalo’s Cafe: Reported as net sales, not gross sales.

Which is the better franchise, Black Bear Diner or Buffalo’s Cafe?

FranchiseVerdict grades Black Bear Diner A and Buffalo’s Cafe B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Black Bear Diner vs Buffalo’s Cafe

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Black Bear Diner and Buffalo’s Cafe are full-service restaurants franchises. Black Bear Diner requires an investment of $1.5M – $2.2M while Buffalo’s Cafe requires $857K – $2.9M. In terms of revenue, Black Bear Diner reports higher average unit revenue at $2.8M. FranchiseVerdict rates Black Bear Diner A (Strongest tier) and Buffalo’s Cafe B (Above average).

Metric	Black Bear Diner	Buffalo’s Cafe
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	BAbove average
Investment Range	$1.5M – $2.2M	$857K – $2.9M
Franchise Fee	$55K	$50K
Royalty Rate	4.5%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.8M	$2.4M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	N/A
Total Units	169	12
Unit Growth (YoY)	+5 units	-1 units
Year Began Franchising	2002	1989
FDD Year	2026	2025