Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs Papa John's: franchise cost side by side
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper of the two to open, from $275,500; Papa John's starts at $281,485.
Every figure comes from the brand's FDD, the disclosure file it must hand you before you sign.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper to open, from $275,500.
Papa John's starts at $281,485, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.
| From each FDD |  Tropical Smoothie Cafe |  Papa John's |
|---|
| Total cost to open | $275,500 to $770,500 | $281,485 to $890,267 |
|---|
| Upfront fee | $35,000 | $5,000 to $25,000 |
|---|
| Royalty (ongoing fee) | 6% of gross sales | 5% of net sales |
|---|
| Marketing fund | 5% of gross sales | 6% of net sales |
|---|
| Published sales | $978,298 a year (average of 1,431 locations, 2025) | $1,097,987 a year (average of 2,389 locations, 2025) |
|---|
| Outlets | 1,650 franchised, 1 company | 2,832 franchised, 462 company |
|---|
| Year filed | 2026 | 2026 |
|---|
Not sure which brands to pick? Get help choosing or browse the full table.
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Read the full figures on the Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise page and the Papa John's franchise page, or read how to compare franchise costs.
Every brand's fee, royalty and Item 7 range is also in one table you can download: the franchise fee comparison.
