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

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

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

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

Nature’s Table Café vs MACU

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Nature’s Table Café and MACU are quick-service restaurants franchises. Nature’s Table Café requires an investment of $62K – $295K while MACU requires $145K – $207K. Neither Nature’s Table Café nor MACU 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 Nature’s Table Café D (Below average) and MACU C (Average).

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