Is Pieology or Papa Johns cheaper to open?

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

Which is safer, Pieology or Papa Johns?

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

Which is the better franchise, Pieology or Papa Johns?

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

Pieology vs Papa Johns

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Pieology and Papa Johns are quick-service restaurants franchises. Pieology requires an investment of $304K – $808K while Papa Johns requires $261K – $853K. 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 Pieology B (Above average) and Papa Johns A (Strongest tier).

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