Is Ginger Ale's or MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO cheaper to open?

Ginger Ale's costs $174,851–$809,817 and MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO costs $282,790–$697,750 to open (FDD Item 7). Ginger Ale's has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Ginger Ale's or MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO?

FranchiseVerdict grades Ginger Ale's D and MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO D, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Ginger Ale's vs MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Ginger Ale's and MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO are full-service restaurants franchises. Ginger Ale's requires an investment of $175K – $810K while MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO requires $283K – $698K. FranchiseVerdict rates Ginger Ale's D (Below average) and MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO D (Below average).

Metric	Ginger Ale's	MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO
Verdict Grade	DBelow averageBelow average	DBelow averageBelow average
Investment Range	$175K – $810K	$283K – $698K
Franchise Fee	$25K	$35K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/AOutlet subset	N/ACompany-owned only · n=2
SBA Charge-Off Rate	N/A	N/A
Total Units	12	2
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2021	2024
FDD Year	2025	2025