How much is a Famous Dave's franchise? $461,750 – $4,927,500 to open, per its disclosure filings
$461,750 – $4,927,500
Opening a Famous Dave's franchise takes $461,750 – $4,927,500 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $95,750 – $145,750. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Famous Dave's cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $95,750 | $145,750 | $95,750 to $145,750 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $461,750 | $4,927,500 | $461,750 to $4,927,500 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $461,750 | $4,927,500 | $461,750 to $4,927,500 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Famous Dave's's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 5% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 1% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $461,750 – $4,927,500 range is derived from Famous Dave's's filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 5% on sales, the ad-fund contribution of up to 1%, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Famous Dave's's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Famous Dave's's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $461,750 — about 1.6× the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $95,750 — about 2.7× the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Famous Dave's or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Famous Dave's for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Famous Dave's franchise fee?
$95,750 – $145,750, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Famous Dave's charge?
A royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.