Franchise Facts Report → compare → KFC (Traditional) vs Chester's
KFC (Traditional) vs Chester's
Two other franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| KFC (Traditional) | Chester's | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $135,000 – $540,000 | $27,500 – $296,500 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $45,000 | $3,500 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 4% | — |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | in report | — |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 3,715 | 1,002 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -127 | -79 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 4.1% | 7.4% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | disclosed | 0 |
| Risk level our read | Medium | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2024 |
Are KFC (Traditional) and Chester's the same company?
No — KFC (Traditional) and Chester's are franchised by separate companies. KFC (Traditional)'s franchisor is KFC US, LLC; Chester's's is Chester's International, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Chester's is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $27,500 – $296,500, against $135,000 – $540,000 for KFC (Traditional).
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only KFC (Traditional) disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Chester's's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
KFC (Traditional) reports 3,715 franchised outlets, net change -127 in the latest reported year, a 4.1% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Chester's reports 1,002 franchised outlets, net change -79 in the latest reported year, a 7.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against other medians.
Litigation
KFC (Traditional) discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (case detail in the full report). Chester's discloses no franchisee-initiated proceedings in FDD Item 3.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against other peers.
Only looking at one of them?
KFC (Traditional) vs Chester's — frequently asked
Are KFC (Traditional) and Chester's the same company?
No — KFC (Traditional) and Chester's are franchised by separate companies. KFC (Traditional)'s franchisor is KFC US, LLC; Chester's's is Chester's International, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between KFC (Traditional) and Chester's?
KFC (Traditional) and Chester's are other franchises from different franchisors (KFC US, LLC and Chester's International, LLC). Chester's is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $27,500 – $296,500, against $135,000 – $540,000 for KFC (Traditional). Only KFC (Traditional) disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Chester's's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is KFC (Traditional) more profitable than Chester's?
Only KFC (Traditional) disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Chester's's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — KFC (Traditional) or Chester's?
Chester's is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $27,500 – $296,500, against $135,000 – $540,000 for KFC (Traditional).
Is KFC (Traditional) or Chester's growing faster?
KFC (Traditional) reports 3,715 franchised outlets, net change -127 in the latest reported year, a 4.1% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Chester's reports 1,002 franchised outlets, net change -79 in the latest reported year, a 7.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
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Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (KFC (Traditional) 2024, Chester's 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.