Franchise Facts Report → rankings → Full-service restaurant
Cheapest Full-service restaurant franchises to open
The 15 lowest-cost full-service restaurant franchises by total initial investment (FDD Item 7) — the low-cost end of the category, ranked from the disclosure documents themselves rather than from anyone's marketing. Every figure is read from the brand's most recent FDD — not marketing copy.
| # | Franchise | Total investment | Investment | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Melting Pot | The Melting Pot® · Item 19 ✓ | $3,750 | $2,500 – $5,000 | Medium |
| 2 | Green Mill Restaurants | $13,500 | $10,000 – $17,000 | Medium |
| 3 | The Original Mel's | The Original Mels Diners Franchising Co | The Original Mel's Diners Franchising Group LLC | The Original Mel's Franchising Co. · Item 19 ✓ | $15,250 | $5,500 – $25,000 | Medium |
| 4 | Tabla Indian Cuisine · Item 19 ✓ | $294,442 | $185,201 – $403,682 | Low |
| 5 | Pizzeria Uno & Grill | $409,500 | $211,500 – $607,500 | Medium |
| 6 | Crab N Spice | $454,500 | $318,000 – $591,000 | Medium |
| 7 | Bjip · Item 19 ✓ | $502,500 | $202,500 – $802,500 | Medium |
| 8 | Hanshin Pocha | $505,500 | $422,000 – $589,000 | Medium |
| 9 | Country Waffles | $560,200 | $311,800 – $808,600 | Medium |
| 10 | Tabu Shabu · Item 19 ✓ | $578,700 | $281,300 – $876,100 | Low |
| 11 | Ultimate Sports Bar and Grill | $604,250 | $370,000 – $838,500 | Medium |
| 12 | Khazana | $640,000 | $278,000 – $1,002,000 | Medium |
| 13 | Inchin's Bamboo Garden | $654,520 | $549,520 – $759,520 | Medium |
| 14 | Crazy Otto's Diner | Crazy Otto's Diner Restaurant | $661,800 | $563,200 – $760,400 | Medium |
| 15 | Point · Item 19 ✓ | $765,850 | $354,700 – $1,177,000 | Low |
Ranked from FDDs filed with state franchise registries. Figures are as disclosed by each franchisor; “best” reflects the single metric above, not an overall recommendation. Tap any brand for the full cost, earnings, litigation and benchmark breakdown.
This page ranks one number. The report on a single brand gives you the actual Item 19 earnings, every fee line, the litigation detail, outlet churn, and where each figure lands against full-service restaurant peers — plus the questions to put to the franchisor before you sign.