Is Long John Silver's or Zaxbys cheaper to open?

Long John Silver's costs $1,072,500–$4,160,000 and Zaxbys costs $1,445,000–$3,810,500 to open (FDD Item 7). Long John Silver's has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Long John Silver's or Zaxbys?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 27.3% for Long John Silver's and 4.0% for Zaxbys. Lower is safer, so Zaxbys has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Long John Silver's or Zaxbys?

FranchiseVerdict grades Long John Silver's D and Zaxbys A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Long John Silver's vs Zaxbys

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Long John Silver's and Zaxbys are quick-service restaurants franchises. Long John Silver's requires an investment of $1.1M – $4.2M while Zaxbys requires $1.4M – $3.8M. Zaxbys discloses average revenue of $2.8M; Long John Silver's does not report Item 19 data. On SBA loan performance, Zaxbys has a lower charge-off rate (4.0%) compared to Long John Silver's (27.3%). FranchiseVerdict rates Long John Silver's D (Below average) and Zaxbys A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Long John Silver's	Zaxbys
Verdict Grade	DBelow averageBelow average	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$1.1M – $4.2M	$1.4M – $3.8M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$35K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/A	$2.8M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	27.3% (45 loans)	4.0% (393 loans)
Total Units	485	969
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1969	1994
FDD Year	2025	2025