Compare
2 brands side-by-side
Compare up to 5 brands side by side
indicates the clear winner per row. Ties and missing data are not highlighted.
How winners are chosen
Lower is better for investment, liquid capital, franchise fee, royalty and ad-fund rates, SBA charge-off rate, and owner turnover.
Higher is better for disclosed revenue and owner earnings, verdict score, total units, net unit growth, and franchisee contacts. For the letter grade, A ranks highest.
A row is highlighted only when one brand clearly leads. Ties are never highlighted, and missing data never counts as a win. Some rows (earnings-metric type, loan counts, contract terms) are informational and have no winner.
These figures come from FDDs of different years (2024, 2026). Costs, fees and unit counts change from one filing to the next, so the older column may be out of date.
Focus by buyer type
| Brand |  DBelow averageTaco John's Quick-Service Restaurants 2026 FDD Remove |  BAbove averageGolden Chick Quick-Service Restaurants 2024 FDD Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Vitals | ||
FDD filing | FDD issued Mar 31, 2026 | FDD issued Apr 22, 2024 |
Investment range | $811K – $2.0M | $994K – $1.9M |
Liquid capital | $25K – $40K | $10K – $30K |
Franchise fee | $25K | $30K |
Royalty rate | 5.0% | 4.0% |
Ad fund rate | 4.0% | 1.0% |
| Performance | ||
Avg gross sales | $1.3MOutlet subset | $1.4MIncl. company outlets |
Median gross sales | $1.2MOutlet subset | Not extracted |
Avg owner earnings Metric varies by brand. Check type below | Not extracted | Not extracted |
Earnings metric | Not classified | Not classified |
| Risk | ||
Rating | DBelow average | BAbove average |
Verdict score | 35 / 100 | 69 / 100 |
SBA charge-off rate | 21.5% (n=74) | 10.0% (n=48) |
SBA loans on record | 74 | 48 |
| Scale | ||
Total units | 327 | 220 |
Net change (latest yr) | -17 | +12 |
Signed, not yet open | 5 (0.02 per open outlet) | 42 (0.19 per open outlet) |
Turnover rate | 5.8% | 3.2% |
| Contract | ||
Initial term (years) | 20 | 20 |
Renewal term (years) | 10 | 10 |
Initial training (hrs) | 160 | 196 |
| Contacts | ||
Franchisee phones | 16 | 220 |
Looking for a detailed head-to-head breakdown?
Read the Taco John's vs Golden Chick editorial comparison →Need franchisee contacts for these brands?
Save with a contact bundle →