Is Moe’s Southwest Grill or 85°C Bakery Cafe cheaper to open?

Moe’s Southwest Grill costs $644,425–$1,968,450 and 85°C Bakery Cafe costs $819,130–$1,771,780 to open (FDD Item 7). Moe’s Southwest Grill has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Moe’s Southwest Grill or 85°C Bakery Cafe?

FranchiseVerdict grades Moe’s Southwest Grill B and 85°C Bakery Cafe A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Moe’s Southwest Grill vs 85°C Bakery Cafe

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Moe’s Southwest Grill and 85°C Bakery Cafe are quick-service restaurants franchises. Moe’s Southwest Grill requires an investment of $644K – $2.0M while 85°C Bakery Cafe requires $819K – $1.8M. Moe’s Southwest Grill discloses average revenue of $1.2M; 85°C Bakery Cafe makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. Note: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system; Reported as net sales, not gross sales. Moe’s Southwest Grill has SBA lending data on file with a 12.7% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Moe’s Southwest Grill B (Above average) and 85°C Bakery Cafe A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Moe’s Southwest Grill	85°C Bakery Cafe
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	AStrongest tier
Investment Range	$644K – $2.0M	$819K – $1.8M
Franchise Fee	$36K	$50K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	6.5%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.2MOutlet subset	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	12.7% (215 loans)	N/A
Total Units	568	88
Unit Growth (YoY)	-28 units	+3 units
Year Began Franchising	2017	2020
FDD Year	2026	2026