Is Culver's or Buona cheaper to open?

Culver's costs $2,811,500–$6,867,000 and Buona costs $1,280,552–$5,256,675 to open (FDD Item 7). Buona has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Culver's or Buona?

Culver's reports $3,488,853 average annual unit revenue vs $3,332,134 for Buona (FDD Item 19). Culver's is higher. For Buona: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance.

Which is the better franchise, Culver's or Buona?

FranchiseVerdict grades Culver's A and Buona B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Culver's vs Buona

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Culver's and Buona are quick-service restaurants franchises. Culver's requires an investment of $2.8M – $6.9M while Buona requires $1.3M – $5.3M. In terms of revenue, Culver's reports higher average unit revenue at $3.5M. Culver's has SBA lending data on file with a 0.0% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Culver's A (Strongest tier) and Buona B (Above average).

Metric	Culver's	Buona
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	BAbove averageAbove average
Investment Range	$2.8M – $6.9M	$1.3M – $5.3M
Franchise Fee	$55K	$40K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	4.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$3.5M	$3.3MCompany-owned only
SBA Charge-Off Rate	0.0% (114 loans)	N/A
Total Units	944	31
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1990	2021
FDD Year	2024	2025