Is Famous Dave’s or TONCHIN cheaper to open?

Famous Dave’s costs $1,254,500–$2,865,000 and TONCHIN costs $1,396,000–$2,703,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Famous Dave’s has the lower entry cost.

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

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

Famous Dave’s vs TONCHIN

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Famous Dave’s and TONCHIN are full-service restaurants franchises. Famous Dave’s requires an investment of $1.3M – $2.9M while TONCHIN requires $1.4M – $2.7M. Famous Dave’s discloses average revenue of $2.9M; TONCHIN 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 TONCHIN C (Average).

Metric	Famous Dave’s	TONCHIN
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	CAverage
Investment Range	$1.3M – $2.9M	$1.4M – $2.7M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$40K
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	3
Unit Growth (YoY)	-6 units	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1998	2024
FDD Year	2026	2025