Denny's Cost Comparisons

About Denny's

In 1953, Harold Butler opened Danny's Donuts, a Lakewood, California, stand that served coffee and doughnuts 24 hours a day. The following year, the stand grew and its name was changed to Danny's Coffee Shops. Five years later, there were 20 shops in the chain, and the company changed its name to Denny's. Denny's locations serve breakfast, lunch and dinner choices 24 hours a day. Denny's New & Emerging Markets incentive program is designed to help us recruit exceptional new franchisees to seize valuable market share in new & emerging markets. Under the program, new franchisees can save up to $1 million by developing 4 new restaurants in new & emerging markets. The estimated savings include reduced: initial fees, royalty rate, marketing fees, market planning fee, store design fees, NRO training, and MGIP (development fees). With a flexible, cost-effective prototype & best-in-class systems, Denny's is positioned for sustained franchise growth.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Denny’s franchise is from $1,330,525.50 to $2,404,695.50 for a Denny’s Heritage facility; from $305,000 to $826,000 for a nontraditional Denny’s, including The Den; and from $1,025,528.50 to $1,659,695.50 for Denny’s within a Travel Center (these numbers exclude real estate). This includes the initial franchise fee of $10,000 to $30,000 and the New Restaurant Opening fee of $0 to $36,000, for a total of $10,000 to $66,000, which must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.

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#59 on Franchise Rankings.com
#83 on Franchise 500 for 2021  Not on Franchise 500 for 2020


Full Service Restaurant Franchise Opportunities

Below is a quick comparison of Denny's against other Full Service Restaurant franchises and business opportunities. For an in depth comparison of Denny's with another opportunity including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options click on the name of the company to view the detailed comparison.

Franchise Franchise Fee Royalty Advertising Fee Development Costs
5 & Diner $35,000 5% $250,000-$750,000
abc Country Restaurants $50,000 4% 2% $250,000-$700,000
Albert's Family Restaurant $25,000 $280,000-$400,000
Another Broken Egg Cafe $50,000 5% 1% $505,500-$1,175,500
Applebee's $35,000 4% initially, 5% possible after not less than 4% $2,009,038-$8,267,250
Applejack's $25,000 4% 2% $250,000-$275,000
Arthur Treacher's $30,000 5% $145,000-$268,000
Au Vieux Duluth Express $30,000-$40,000 $175,000-$500,000
Bar Louie $50,000 5% 2% local, 1%Nat'l $923,500-$3,707,333
Baton Rouge Restaurant $60,000 5% 2% $1,600,000-$1,800,000
Ben & Florentine Restaurants $35,000 6% $619,650-$817,800
Bennigan's Grill & Tavern $35,000 4% 1% $1,027,075-$3,588,244
Best of Mediterranean $20,000 4% $126,300-$574,700
Big Boy Restaurants $40,000 4% 1% local +2% Nat'l $861,800-$3,568,000
Black Bear Diners $55,000 4.5% 1% $1,133,800-$2,114,200
Black Rock Bar & Grill $50,000 4% 1% $1,519,940-$2,957,625
Bombshells Restaurant $50,000 5.5% $1,731,000-$3,086,000
Boscos N/A $827,000-$994,000
Browns Socialhouse $50,000 6% $2,000,000-$2,500,000
Casey's $60,000 5% 4% $500,000-$1,600,000
Chocolate Bar N/A $250,000-$500,000
Cool Hand Luke's $50,000 $373,000-$1,817,500
Cool-de-Sac $75,000 6% $858,700-$1,988,667
Cosi Inc $40,000 5% 2% $762,600-$899,800
Country Kitchen $40,000 4% 3% local + 1% Int'l $425,000-$1,685,000
Dunn's Famous $20,000-$50,000 5% 2%Nat'l+1% Local $150,000-$800,000
Eggspectation $50,000 5% 2% Nat'l 1% local $650,000-$1,500,000
Einstein Bros. Bagels $35,000 5% 5% $138,550-$935,850
Elmer's $40,000 4% 1% $712,000-$3,209,500
Fresh To Order $30,000 $489,500-$646,500
Friendly Banners $30,000 4% 2% $450,000
Friendly's Restaurants $30,000-$35,000 4% 3.5% $498,500-$1,950,000
Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen $25,000 6% 2% local +1% Nat'l $302,450-$558,950
George Webb Restaurants $250,000 $402,000-$850,000
Giorgio Restaurants $25,000-$50,000 4.5%-7% $175,000-$500,000
Golden Corral $50,000 4% 2.4% $2,700,795-$7,037,915
Golden Griddle $25,000 5% $100,000-$450,000
Great Steak $30,000 6% $155,900-$520,300
Hard Rock Cafe $350,000-$750,000 $2,995,000-$4,910,000
Hard Times Cafe $30,000 $449,000-$1,000,000
Hooters $75,000 5% 2.5% $956,500-$4,275,000
Houlihan's $40,000 4% $1,600,000-$4,300,000
House of Jazz $75,000 5% 2% $750,000-$1,200,000
Humpty's $30,000 5% 2% $495,000-$695,000
I Dream of Falafel $25,000 5% 3% $337,811-$470,302
IHOP $40,000-$50,000 4.5% 3.5% $414,866-$3,374,043
IL FORNELLO $35,000 4% 1% $100,000-$700,000
Indigo Joe's $30,000 5% 1.5% $1,200,000-$1,300,000
Kayson's Grille $25,000 5% 1% $489,700-$618,000
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants $75,000 5% $49,789,087-$70,127,050
L and L Franchise $30,000 3%-4% 1%-2% $133,700-$535,000
La Madeleine $40,000 5% 2.5% $1,249,362-$3,088,747
La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill $25,000-$50,000 5% 3% $189,550-$992,590
Manhattan Bagel $25,000 5% 5% $481,000-$705,000
Manny's Grill $25,000 5% $171,235-$516,652
Max & Erma's $40,000 4% $622,500-$3,100,000
McAlister's Deli $15,000-$35,000 5% 3% $398,000-$2,094,200
Miami Grill $30,000 6% 3% $175,000-And Up
Naples Tomato $30,000 5% 5% $1,353,000-$1,892,500
Original Joe's $39,000 5% 2% $950,000
Palapas Restaurants $30,000 5% $750,000-$2,000,000
Pantry, The $40,000 $450,000-$600,000
Perkins $40,000 4% $1,557,975-$2,742,975
Perko's Cafe Grill $35,000 4% $292,500-$1,357,000
Quaker Steak & Lube $40,000 5% 3% $1,800,000-$3,700,000
Red Hot & Blue $45,000 5% $380,700-$1,000,000
Rhapsody's $42,500-$56,000 6% 1 - 3% $565,000-And Up
Ricky's $45,000 4.5% 3% $800,000-$950,000
Ricky's All Day Grill $45,000 5% 3% $300,000-And Up
Roy Rogers $30,000 5% 3% $767,250-$1,580,950
Ruby Tuesday $35,000 4% of gross sales 1.5% of gross sales $1,559,650-$3,877,400
Salsarita's Fresh Cantina $30,000 5% 1% Nat'l 1.5% Local $283,150-$563,900
Sam & Louie's N Y Pizza $25,000 5% $331,500-$474,700
Sammy J Peppers $50,000 $750,000-$1,500,000
Seacrets $45,000 6% and 10% from hotel 1% local $1,639,333-$3,061,667
Shingle Inn Cafes N/A $250,001-$450,000
Shoney's Restaurants $25,000-$35,000 2.5-3.5% $568,000-$2,800,000
Smitty's Restaurants $35,000 $400,000-$600,000
Soul De Cuba Cafe $65,000 6% $160,350-$487,000
Soul Fixins' Restaurant $30,000 5% $274,000-$524,000
South Philly Steak & Fries $25,000 $292,500-$464,500
Symposium Cafe $40,000 4% 1% $625,000-$675,000
T.G.I. Friday's N/A $1,000,000-$3,000,000
Taste Of Mediterranean $12,000-$20,000 $1,000. a month, Flat Fee. 2% $99,000-And Up
Tin Star Restaurant $20,000-$35,000 4% $500,000
Twin Peaks $50,000 5% 3% $1,309,800-$2,365,900
Uccello's Ristorante, Pizzeria & Sports Lounge $50,000 5% 5% $1,332,100-$1,958,333
uWink $50,000 4% + 2% Technology Fee 1% $1,645,000-$3,472,000
Village Inn Restaurants $40,000 4% 1%local +0.5%Nat'l $963,000-$2,570,000
Western Sizzlin $30,000 3% $811,000-$2,300,000
White Hen Pantry $30,000 Varies $52,400-$225,200
White Spot Restaurants $75,000 $900,000-And Up
Wimpys Diner $30,000 4% 2% $250,000-$500,000
Winger's Grill & Bar $35,000 4% $150,000-$550,000
Zaxby's $35,000 6% 2.87%-5% $343,200-$695,200