Is First Watch or Tapville Social cheaper to open?

First Watch costs $1,210,150–$2,028,800 and Tapville Social costs $751,250–$2,495,800 to open (FDD Item 7). Tapville Social has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, First Watch or Tapville Social?

FranchiseVerdict grades First Watch A and Tapville Social B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

First Watch vs Tapville Social

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both First Watch and Tapville Social are full-service restaurants franchises. First Watch requires an investment of $1.2M – $2.0M while Tapville Social requires $751K – $2.5M. Tapville Social discloses average revenue of $2.4M; First Watch makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. Note: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance; Based on a single outlet - not a system average. FranchiseVerdict rates First Watch A (Strongest tier) and Tapville Social B (Above average).

Metric	First Watch	Tapville Social
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	BAbove average
Investment Range	$1.2M – $2.0M	$751K – $2.5M
Franchise Fee	$40K	$45K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	$2.4MCompany-owned only · n=1
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	474	36
Unit Growth (YoY)	+14 units	+14 units
Year Began Franchising	2008	2019
FDD Year	2023	2025