Is Bruegger's or Perko’s Café Grill cheaper to open?

Bruegger's costs $693,800–$1,227,150 and Perko’s Café Grill costs $383,700–$1,523,200 to open (FDD Item 7). Perko’s Café Grill has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Bruegger's or Perko’s Café Grill?

FranchiseVerdict grades Bruegger's B and Perko’s Café Grill B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Bruegger's vs Perko’s Café Grill

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Bruegger's and Perko’s Café Grill are full-service restaurants franchises. Bruegger's requires an investment of $694K – $1.2M while Perko’s Café Grill requires $384K – $1.5M. Neither Bruegger's nor Perko’s Café Grill 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. Bruegger's has SBA lending data on file with a 13.3% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Bruegger's B (Above average) and Perko’s Café Grill B (Above average).

Metric	Bruegger's	Perko’s Café Grill
Verdict Grade	BAbove averageAbove average	BAbove averageAbove average
Investment Range	$694K – $1.2M	$384K – $1.5M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$35K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	13.3% (17 loans)	N/A
Total Units	169	6
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	+0 units
Year Began Franchising	1993	2016
FDD Year	2026	2026