Is Famous Dave’s or Sedona Taphouse cheaper to open?

Famous Dave’s costs $1,254,500–$2,865,000 and Sedona Taphouse costs $1,652,000–$2,510,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Famous Dave’s has the lower entry cost.

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

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

Famous Dave’s vs Sedona Taphouse

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Famous Dave’s and Sedona Taphouse are full-service restaurants franchises. Famous Dave’s requires an investment of $1.3M – $2.9M while Sedona Taphouse requires $1.7M – $2.5M. Famous Dave’s discloses average revenue of $2.9M; Sedona Taphouse 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 Sedona Taphouse B (Above average).

Metric	Famous Dave’s	Sedona Taphouse
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$1.3M – $2.9M	$1.7M – $2.5M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$35K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	4.5%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.9M	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	100	17
Unit Growth (YoY)	-6 units	+1 units
Year Began Franchising	1998	2014
FDD Year	2026	2025