Marco’s Pizza vs BURGER 21

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

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Marco’s Pizza
QSR
Investment
$287K to $807K
Franchise fee
$25,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
53
BURGER 21
QSR
Investment
$413K to $1.1M
Franchise fee
$40,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
5
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.
MetricMarco’s PizzaBURGER 21
Franchise Fee
$25,000$40,000
Min Investment
$287K$413K
Max Investment
$807K$1.1M
Royalty Rate
5.5%5.0%
Ad Fund Rate
4.0%1.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
9.5%6.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$886K$1.3M
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
5.7%12.6%
Payback Period
17.6 yrs7.9 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
1.62x1.80x
Franchised Units
535
1-Year Net Unit Change
-10-13
Net Unit Growth Rate
-15.2%-72.2%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
15.9%72.2%
SBA Default Rate
6.0%33.3%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
46816
Average SBA Loan Size
$367K$587K
Item 19 Status
Revenue OnlyRevenue Only
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
10098

What stands out

  • Marco’s Pizza opens at $287K to $807K, while BURGER 21 ranges from $413K to $1.1M.
  • Marco’s Pizza shows an Item 19 disclosure; BURGER 21 shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • Marco’s Pizza has 53 franchised units versus 5 for BURGER 21.

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Last updated: April 2026