Is Zaxbys or Long John Silver's cheaper to open?

Zaxbys costs $1,445,000–$3,810,500 and Long John Silver's costs $1,072,500–$4,160,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Long John Silver's has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Zaxbys or Long John Silver's?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 4.0% for Zaxbys and 27.3% for Long John Silver's. Lower is safer, so Zaxbys has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Zaxbys or Long John Silver's?

FranchiseVerdict grades Zaxbys A and Long John Silver's D, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Zaxbys vs Long John Silver's

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Zaxbys and Long John Silver's are quick-service restaurants franchises. Zaxbys requires an investment of $1.4M – $3.8M while Long John Silver's requires $1.1M – $4.2M. Zaxbys discloses average revenue of $2.8M; Long John Silver's does not report Item 19 data. On SBA loan performance, Zaxbys has a lower charge-off rate (4.0%) compared to Long John Silver's (27.3%). FranchiseVerdict rates Zaxbys A (Strongest tier) and Long John Silver's D (Below average).

Metric	Zaxbys	Long John Silver's
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	DBelow averageBelow average
Investment Range	$1.4M – $3.8M	$1.1M – $4.2M
Franchise Fee	$35K	$35K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.8M	N/A
SBA Charge-Off Rate	4.0% (393 loans)	27.3% (45 loans)
Total Units	969	485
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1994	1969
FDD Year	2025	2025