KFC vs Dave's Hot Chicken: franchise cost side by side

Dave's Hot Chicken is the cheaper of the two to open, from $823,800; KFC starts at $2,107,575.

Every figure comes from the brand's FDD, the disclosure file it must hand you before you sign.

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Dave's Hot Chicken is the cheaper to open, from $823,800.

KFC starts at $2,107,575, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.

From each FDD	KFC	Dave's Hot Chicken
Total cost to open	$2,107,575 to $4,155,000	$823,800 to $4,121,900
Upfront fee	$45,000	$40,000
Royalty (ongoing fee)	5% of gross revenue (at least $1,440 a month)	6% of gross sales
Marketing fund	5.8% of gross revenue for now, falling in later years	4% of gross sales
Published sales	Published, no single figure	None published
Outlets	3,404 franchised, 86 company	348 franchised, 10 company
Year filed	2026	2026

More comparisons with KFC and Dave's Hot Chicken

Every brand's fee, royalty and Item 7 range is also in one table you can download: the franchise fee comparison.

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