Is Jimmy John's or Panera Bread cheaper to open?

Jimmy John's costs $366,200–$728,200 and Panera Bread costs $1,266,805–$4,651,324 to open (FDD Item 7). Jimmy John's has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Jimmy John's or Panera Bread?

Jimmy John's reports $986,095 average annual unit revenue vs $2,595,936 for Panera Bread (FDD Item 19). Panera Bread is higher. For Panera Bread: Reported as net sales, not gross sales.

Which is the better franchise, Jimmy John's or Panera Bread?

FranchiseVerdict grades Jimmy John's A and Panera Bread A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Jimmy John's vs Panera Bread

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Jimmy John's and Panera Bread are quick-service restaurants franchises. Jimmy John's requires an investment of $366K – $728K while Panera Bread requires $1.3M – $4.7M. In terms of revenue, Panera Bread reports higher average unit revenue at $2.6M. Note: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. Jimmy John's has SBA lending data on file with a 5.8% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Jimmy John's A (Strongest tier) and Panera Bread A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Jimmy John's	Panera Bread
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$366K – $728K	$1.3M – $4.7M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$35K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$986K	$2.6M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	5.8% (1074 loans)	Limited data
Total Units	2,689	2,206
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2017	1993
FDD Year	2025	2025