Is Black Rifle Coffee Company or Dave’s Hot Chicken cheaper to open?

Black Rifle Coffee Company costs $1,599,750–$3,321,000 and Dave’s Hot Chicken costs $823,800–$4,121,900 to open (FDD Item 7). Dave’s Hot Chicken has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Black Rifle Coffee Company or Dave’s Hot Chicken?

FranchiseVerdict grades Black Rifle Coffee Company B and Dave’s Hot Chicken A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Black Rifle Coffee Company vs Dave’s Hot Chicken

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Black Rifle Coffee Company and Dave’s Hot Chicken are quick-service restaurants franchises. Black Rifle Coffee Company requires an investment of $1.6M – $3.3M while Dave’s Hot Chicken requires $824K – $4.1M. Neither Black Rifle Coffee Company nor Dave’s Hot Chicken makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD — a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule — so the two cannot be compared on disclosed unit revenue. FranchiseVerdict rates Black Rifle Coffee Company B (Above average) and Dave’s Hot Chicken A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Black Rifle Coffee Company	Dave’s Hot Chicken
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	AStrongest tier
Investment Range	$1.6M – $3.3M	$824K – $4.1M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$40K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	37	358
Unit Growth (YoY)	+2 units	+115 units
Year Began Franchising	2022	2019
FDD Year	2025	2026