Is Papa Johns or Pieology cheaper to open?

Papa Johns costs $261,165–$853,365 and Pieology costs $304,000–$807,500 to open (FDD Item 7). Papa Johns has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Papa Johns or Pieology?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 18.1% for Papa Johns and 0.0% for Pieology. Lower is safer, so Pieology has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Papa Johns or Pieology?

FranchiseVerdict grades Papa Johns A and Pieology B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Papa Johns vs Pieology

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Papa Johns and Pieology are quick-service restaurants franchises. Papa Johns requires an investment of $261K – $853K while Pieology requires $304K – $808K. Papa Johns discloses average revenue of $1.1M; Pieology makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. Note: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. On SBA loan performance, Pieology has a lower charge-off rate (0.0%) compared to Papa Johns (18.1%). FranchiseVerdict rates Papa Johns A (Strongest tier) and Pieology B (Above average).

Metric	Papa Johns	Pieology
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	BAbove average
Investment Range	$261K – $853K	$304K – $808K
Franchise Fee	$25K	$25K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.1M	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	18.1% (323 loans)	0.0% (23 loans)
Total Units	3,291	83
Unit Growth (YoY)	+63 units	-24 units
Year Began Franchising	2021	2012
FDD Year	2025	2025