Is Krystal or Canteen cheaper to open?

Krystal costs $1,380,500–$2,160,000 and Canteen costs $1,404,750–$2,100,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Krystal has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Krystal or Canteen?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 22.7% for Krystal and 0.0% for Canteen. Lower is safer, so Canteen has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Krystal or Canteen?

FranchiseVerdict grades Krystal C and Canteen A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Krystal vs Canteen

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Krystal and Canteen are quick-service restaurants franchises. Krystal requires an investment of $1.4M – $2.2M while Canteen requires $1.4M – $2.1M. Krystal discloses average revenue of $988K; Canteen does not report Item 19 data. On SBA loan performance, Canteen has a lower charge-off rate (0.0%) compared to Krystal (22.7%). FranchiseVerdict rates Krystal C (Average) and Canteen A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Krystal	Canteen
Verdict Grade	CAverageAverage	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$1.4M – $2.2M	$1.4M – $2.1M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$3K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	Up to 5.25% of Gross Sales (3.25% of Gross Sales if in compliance with Canteen's operational and purchasing standards). Rate may vary by franchisee depending on territory, size, revenue, and compliance.
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$988K	N/A
SBA Charge-Off Rate	22.7% (33 loans)	0.0% (11 loans)
Total Units	280	261
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2020	1996
FDD Year	2025	2025

Investment Range

$1.4M – $2.2M

$1.4M – $2.1M

Franchise Fee

$35K

$3K

Royalty Rate

5.0%

Up to 5.25% of Gross Sales (3.25% of Gross Sales if in compliance with Canteen's operational and purchasing standards). Rate may vary by franchisee depending on territory, size, revenue, and compliance.

Average Revenue (Item 19)

$988K

N/A

SBA Charge-Off Rate

22.7% (33 loans)

0.0% (11 loans)

Total Units

280

261

Unit Growth (YoY)

N/A

Year Began Franchising