Is MACU or Nature’s Table Café cheaper to open?

MACU costs $144,500–$206,600 and Nature’s Table Café costs $62,200–$294,600 to open (FDD Item 7). Nature’s Table Café has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, MACU or Nature’s Table Café?

FranchiseVerdict grades MACU C and Nature’s Table Café D, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

MACU vs Nature’s Table Café

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both MACU and Nature’s Table Café are quick-service restaurants franchises. MACU requires an investment of $145K – $207K while Nature’s Table Café requires $62K – $295K. Neither MACU nor Nature’s Table Café makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD — a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule — so the two cannot be compared on disclosed unit revenue. Nature’s Table Café has SBA lending data on file with a 30.0% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates MACU C (Average) and Nature’s Table Café D (Below average).

Metric	MACU	Nature’s Table Café
Verdict Grade	CAverage	DBelow average
Investment Range	$145K – $207K	$62K – $295K
Franchise Fee	$30K	$30K
Royalty Rate	2.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	N/A	30.0% (21 loans)
Total Units	4	51
Unit Growth (YoY)	+2 units	-4 units
Year Began Franchising	2023	1986
FDD Year	2025	2023