Is BURGER KING or Panera Bread cheaper to open?

BURGER KING costs $348,400–$3,320,600 and Panera Bread costs $1,266,805–$4,651,324 to open (FDD Item 7). BURGER KING has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, BURGER KING or Panera Bread?

BURGER KING reports $1,692,549 average annual unit revenue vs $2,595,936 for Panera Bread (FDD Item 19). Panera Bread is higher. For Panera Bread: Reported as net sales, not gross sales.

Which is the better franchise, BURGER KING or Panera Bread?

FranchiseVerdict grades BURGER KING A and Panera Bread A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

BURGER KING vs Panera Bread

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both BURGER KING and Panera Bread are quick-service restaurants franchises. BURGER KING requires an investment of $348K – $3.3M while Panera Bread requires $1.3M – $4.7M. In terms of revenue, Panera Bread reports higher average unit revenue at $2.6M. Note: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. BURGER KING has SBA lending data on file with a 7.3% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates BURGER KING A (Strongest tier) and Panera Bread A (Strongest tier).

Metric	BURGER KING	Panera Bread
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$348K – $3.3M	$1.3M – $4.7M
Franchise Fee	$50K	$35K
Royalty Rate	4.5%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.7M	$2.6M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	7.3% (275 loans)	Limited data
Total Units	6,650	2,206
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2022	1993
FDD Year	2026	2025