Is Famous Dave’s or Green Mill cheaper to open?

Famous Dave’s costs $1,254,500–$2,865,000 and Green Mill costs $1,671,700–$2,493,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Famous Dave’s has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Famous Dave’s or Green Mill?

FranchiseVerdict grades Famous Dave’s B and Green Mill B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Famous Dave’s vs Green Mill

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Famous Dave’s and Green Mill are full-service restaurants franchises. Famous Dave’s requires an investment of $1.3M – $2.9M while Green Mill requires $1.7M – $2.5M. Famous Dave’s discloses average revenue of $2.9M; Green Mill makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. Note: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. FranchiseVerdict rates Famous Dave’s B (Above average) and Green Mill B (Above average).

Metric	Famous Dave’s	Green Mill
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$1.3M – $2.9M	$1.7M – $2.5M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$45K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	4.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.9M	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	100	16
Unit Growth (YoY)	-6 units	-1 units
Year Began Franchising	1998	2010
FDD Year	2026	2024