Is Ten Thousand Express or Paulie Gee's cheaper to open?

Ten Thousand Express costs $385,363–$608,995 and Paulie Gee's costs $254,500–$734,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Paulie Gee's has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Ten Thousand Express or Paulie Gee's?

FranchiseVerdict grades Ten Thousand Express D and Paulie Gee's A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Ten Thousand Express vs Paulie Gee's

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Ten Thousand Express and Paulie Gee's are quick-service restaurants franchises. Ten Thousand Express requires an investment of $385K – $609K while Paulie Gee's requires $255K – $734K. FranchiseVerdict rates Ten Thousand Express D (Below average) and Paulie Gee's A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Ten Thousand Express	Paulie Gee's
Verdict Grade	DBelow averageBelow average	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$385K – $609K	$255K – $734K
Franchise Fee	$30K	$15K
Royalty Rate	3.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/A	N/A
SBA Charge-Off Rate	N/A	Limited data
Total Units	N/A	7
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2024	2013
FDD Year	2025	2025