FIREHOUSE SUBS vs KITCHEN TUNE-UP®

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

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FIREHOUSE SUBS
QSR
Investment
$380K to $1.4M
Franchise fee
$20,000
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
1,170
KITCHEN TUNE-UP®
QSR
Investment
$122K to $199K
Franchise fee
$19,950
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
274
Lower entry cost
Leans right
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.
MetricFIREHOUSE SUBSKITCHEN TUNE-UP®
Franchise Fee
$20,000$19,950
Min Investment
$380K$122K
Max Investment
$1.4M$199K
Royalty Rate
6.0%6.0%
Ad Fund Rate
5.0%1.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
11.0%7.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$964K$362K
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
2.2%13.5%
Payback Period
46.0 yrs7.4 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
1.09x2.25x
Franchised Units
1,170274
1-Year Net Unit Change
36-13
Net Unit Growth Rate
3.1%-5.1%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
N/A4.5%
SBA Default Rate
7.5%25.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
60559
Average SBA Loan Size
$321K$173K
Item 19 Status
Cost Data OnlyCost Data Only
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • FIREHOUSE SUBS opens at $380K to $1.4M, while KITCHEN TUNE-UP® ranges from $122K to $199K.
  • FIREHOUSE SUBS shows an Item 19 disclosure; KITCHEN TUNE-UP® shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • FIREHOUSE SUBS has 1,170 franchised units versus 274 for KITCHEN TUNE-UP®.

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Last updated: April 2026