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

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

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

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

Dave’s Hot Chicken vs Black Rifle Coffee Company

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Dave’s Hot Chicken and Black Rifle Coffee Company are quick-service restaurants franchises. Dave’s Hot Chicken requires an investment of $824K – $4.1M while Black Rifle Coffee Company requires $1.6M – $3.3M. Neither Dave’s Hot Chicken nor Black Rifle Coffee Company 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 Dave’s Hot Chicken A (Strongest tier) and Black Rifle Coffee Company B (Above average).

Metric	Dave’s Hot Chicken	Black Rifle Coffee Company
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	BAbove average
Investment Range	$824K – $4.1M	$1.6M – $3.3M
Franchise Fee	$40K	$35K
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	358	37
Unit Growth (YoY)	+115 units	+2 units
Year Began Franchising	2019	2022
FDD Year	2026	2025