Is Rachel’s Kitchen or Papa Johns cheaper to open?

Rachel’s Kitchen costs $298,450–$815,880 and Papa Johns costs $261,165–$853,365 to open (FDD Item 7). Papa Johns has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Rachel’s Kitchen or Papa Johns?

Rachel’s Kitchen reports $1,719,649 average annual unit revenue vs $1,122,575 for Papa Johns (FDD Item 19). Rachel’s Kitchen is higher. For Rachel’s Kitchen: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. For Papa Johns: Reported as net sales, not gross sales.

Which is the better franchise, Rachel’s Kitchen or Papa Johns?

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

Rachel’s Kitchen vs Papa Johns

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Rachel’s Kitchen and Papa Johns are quick-service restaurants franchises. Rachel’s Kitchen requires an investment of $298K – $816K while Papa Johns requires $261K – $853K. In terms of revenue, Rachel’s Kitchen reports higher average unit revenue at $1.7M. Note: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Papa Johns has SBA lending data on file with a 18.1% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Rachel’s Kitchen B (Above average) and Papa Johns A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Rachel’s Kitchen	Papa Johns
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	AStrongest tier
Investment Range	$298K – $816K	$261K – $853K
Franchise Fee	$40K	$25K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.7MOutlet subset	$1.1M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	18.1% (323 loans)
Total Units	7	3,291
Unit Growth (YoY)	+0 units	+63 units
Year Began Franchising	2008	2021
FDD Year	2024	2025