SIZZLER® vs TGI Fridays

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

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SIZZLER®
Casual Dining
Investment
$1.3M to $2.6M
Franchise fee
$35,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
116
TGI Fridays
Casual Dining
Investment
$1.4M to $4.5M
Franchise fee
$50,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
129
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 right
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricSIZZLER®TGI Fridays
Franchise Fee
$35,000$50,000
Min Investment
$1.3M$1.4M
Max Investment
$2.6M$4.5M
Royalty Rate
4.0%4.0%
Ad Fund Rate
0.5%4.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
4.5%8.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$1.9M$3.1M
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
5.4%2.1%
Payback Period
18.4 yrs47.3 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
0.99x1.06x
Franchised Units
116129
1-Year Net Unit Change
-4-48
Net Unit Growth Rate
-3.4%-35.8%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
3.3%27.1%
SBA Default Rate
20.0%0.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
52
Average SBA Loan Size
$626K$1.2M
Item 19 Status
Revenue OnlyRevenue Only
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
98100

What stands out

  • SIZZLER® opens at $1.3M to $2.6M, while TGI Fridays ranges from $1.4M to $4.5M.
  • SIZZLER® shows an Item 19 disclosure; TGI Fridays shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • SIZZLER® has 116 franchised units versus 129 for TGI Fridays.

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Last updated: April 2026