Is Dunkin Donuts or Panera Bread cheaper to open?

Dunkin Donuts costs $532,400–$1,832,500 and Panera Bread costs $1,266,805–$4,651,324 to open (FDD Item 7). Dunkin Donuts has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Dunkin Donuts or Panera Bread?

Dunkin Donuts reports $1,372,069 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, Dunkin Donuts or Panera Bread?

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

Dunkin Donuts vs Panera Bread

Franchise Comparison 2026

Dunkin Donuts is a full-service restaurants franchise, while Panera Bread operates in quick-service restaurants. Dunkin Donuts requires an investment of $532K – $1.8M 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. Dunkin Donuts has SBA lending data on file with a 7.5% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Dunkin Donuts A (Strongest tier) and Panera Bread A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Dunkin Donuts	Panera Bread
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$532K – $1.8M	$1.3M – $4.7M
Franchise Fee	$40K	$35K
Royalty Rate	5.9%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.4M	$2.6M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	7.5% (1341 loans)	Limited data
Total Units	8,780	2,206
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1955	1993
FDD Year	2026	2025