Is Famous Dave’s or Mensho cheaper to open?

Famous Dave’s costs $1,254,500–$2,865,000 and Mensho costs $578,375–$3,462,750 to open (FDD Item 7). Mensho has the lower entry cost.

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

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

Famous Dave’s vs Mensho

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Famous Dave’s and Mensho are full-service restaurants franchises. Famous Dave’s requires an investment of $1.3M – $2.9M while Mensho requires $578K – $3.5M. Famous Dave’s discloses average revenue of $2.9M; Mensho 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 Mensho B (Above average).

Metric	Famous Dave’s	Mensho
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$1.3M – $2.9M	$578K – $3.5M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$30K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.9M	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	N/A
Total Units	100	10
Unit Growth (YoY)	-6 units	+5 units
Year Began Franchising	1998	2022
FDD Year	2026	2026