Denny's vs The Brass Tap

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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Denny's
Casual Dining
Investment
$255K to $3.1M
Franchise fee
$30,000
Item 19 status
Full Disclosure
Units
1,342
The Brass Tap
Casual Dining
Investment
$793K to $1.3M
Franchise fee
$25,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
6
Lower entry cost
Leans left
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans left
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricDenny'sThe Brass Tap
Franchise Fee
$30,000$25,000
Min Investment
$255K$793K
Max Investment
$3.1M$1.3M
Royalty Rate
4.5%5.0%
Ad Fund Rate
3.0%2.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
7.5%7.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$1.8M$1.3M
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
2.7%3.8%
Payback Period
36.7 yrs26.2 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
1.09x1.27x
Franchised Units
1,3426
1-Year Net Unit Change
-377
Net Unit Growth Rate
-2.7%116.7%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
2.7%N/A
SBA Default Rate
2.6%4.8%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
5567
Average SBA Loan Size
$928K$840K
Item 19 Status
Full DisclosureRevenue Only
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • Denny's opens at $255K to $3.1M, while The Brass Tap ranges from $793K to $1.3M.
  • Denny's shows an Item 19 disclosure; The Brass Tap shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • Denny's has 1,342 franchised units versus 6 for The Brass Tap.

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Last updated: April 2026