Is Jason's Deli or McDonald’s cheaper to open?

Jason's Deli costs $1,706,691–$2,516,291 and McDonald’s costs $1,472,000–$2,807,000 to open (FDD Item 7). McDonald’s has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Jason's Deli or McDonald’s?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 0.0% for Jason's Deli and 16.7% for McDonald’s. Lower is safer, so Jason's Deli has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Jason's Deli or McDonald’s?

FranchiseVerdict grades Jason's Deli A and McDonald’s A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Jason's Deli vs McDonald’s

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Jason's Deli and McDonald’s are quick-service restaurants franchises. Jason's Deli requires an investment of $1.7M – $2.5M while McDonald’s requires $1.5M – $2.8M. McDonald’s discloses average revenue of $4.1M; Jason's Deli does not report Item 19 data. On SBA loan performance, Jason's Deli has a lower charge-off rate (0.0%) compared to McDonald’s (16.7%). FranchiseVerdict rates Jason's Deli A (Strongest tier) and McDonald’s A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Jason's Deli	McDonald’s
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$1.7M – $2.5M	$1.5M – $2.8M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$45K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/A	$4.1M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	0.0% (14 loans)	16.7% (24 loans)
Total Units	236	13,706
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1989	1955
FDD Year	2026	2026