Is Fuddruckers or PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans cheaper to open?

Fuddruckers costs $625,000–$2,014,000 and PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans costs $915,000–$1,698,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Fuddruckers has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Fuddruckers or PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans?

FranchiseVerdict grades Fuddruckers D and PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Fuddruckers vs PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Fuddruckers and PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans are quick-service restaurants franchises. Fuddruckers requires an investment of $625K – $2.0M while PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans requires $915K – $1.7M. PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans discloses average revenue of $590K; Fuddruckers 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. Fuddruckers has SBA lending data on file with a 31.4% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Fuddruckers D (Below average) and PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans B (Above average).

Metric	Fuddruckers	PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans
Verdict Grade	DBelow average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$625K – $2.0M	$915K – $1.7M
Franchise Fee	$45K	$40K
Royalty Rate	5.5%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	$590K
SBA Charge-Off Rate	31.4% (36 loans)	Limited data
Total Units	50	182
Unit Growth (YoY)	+0 units	+13 units
Year Began Franchising	2024	2008
FDD Year	2025	2025