FranDB
FAMOUS DAVE'S

FAMOUS DAVE'S

Famous Dave’s of America, Inc. franchises authentic, down-home barbecue restaurants featuring genuine smoked barbecue, including hickory-smoked spareribs, baby back ribs, beef brisket, herb-roasted chicken, barbecue sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, sides like cornbread and coleslaw, desserts, specialty cocktails, and other food and beverage items. The business model involves granting franchises for full-service, counter-service, line-service restaurants, or add-on ghost/cloud kitchens, with initial investments ranging from $68,500 to $4,510,750 depending on format and ownership, including fees paid to the franchisor and requirements for approved suppliers and brand technology. It targets barbecue enthusiasts seeking a consistent, high-quality BBQ dining experience in various formats.

70
Locations
$1255K–$2865K
Investment
Download FDD
Food & BeverageMinnetonka, MNMTY USAwww.famousdaves.comDisclaimer

Franchise Costs

Franchise Fee
$35,000
Item 5 of FDD
Initial Investment Range
$1,254,500 – $2,865,000
Low: $1,254,500High: $2,865,000
Item 7 of FDD
Royalty Rate
5.00%
of gross sales
Brand Fund
1.00%
Item 6 of FDD
Fixed Monthly Fees
$200 – $325
Item 6 of FDD

5% royalty + 1% marketing fund + $200-$325/mo technology support fee

Financial Performance

Item 19 Financial Performance

This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.

Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.

Extracted Item 19 Section

How FAMOUS DAVE'S Compares

Key Insights

  • Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Casual Dining
FranchiseInvestmentFeeRoyaltyLocations
FAMOUS DAVE'S
Current
$1.3M – $2.9M$35K5.0%70
IHOP & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES$1.8M – $4.5M$69KN/A1,703
BUFFALO WILD WINGS$2.5M – $4.9M$25K5.0%549
GOLDEN CORRAL STEAKS, BUFFET & BAKERY$2.1M – $8.5M$50K4.0%352
GOLDEN CORRAL$2.2M – $8.7M$50K4.0%348
ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE (THE)$483K – $1.7M$60K2.0%146
Casual Dining Average
44 franchises
$1.5M – $3.5M$43K4.6%–

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 44 Casual Dining franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth

Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2025)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States
1CA
12
2TX
8
3MN
6
4NV
6
5MI
4
6WI
3
7MD
3
8MT
3
9VA
3
10IL
3
11AZ
2
12FL
2
13IA
2
14ID
2
15OH
2

+15 more states

SBA Loan History

Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for FAMOUS DAVE'S franchisees (2010 – 2025)

Total Loans
13
Average Loan
$1,463,085
Total Volume
$19.0M
Default Rate
7.7%

Loans by Year

SBA 7(a) loan activity over time

* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.

Franchisee Contacts

82 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

NameSBA Loan
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active

82 Contacts Available

Unlock all FAMOUS DAVE'S franchisee contacts with verified contact information

Due Diligence

Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee CasesN/A

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryN/A

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations
0
Non-Renewals
0
Reacquired
0
Ceased Ops
8
Transfers
1
Sold to Franchisees
2
Projected New
5

Frequently Asked Questions

The total initial investment to open a FAMOUS DAVE'S franchise ranges from $1,254,500 to $2,865,000. This includes a franchise fee of $35,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.

Download FAMOUS DAVE'S FDD

Complete Franchise Disclosure Document — 2026 filing.

or

Best Value — Save with Full Access

  • Access the full database of 1,700+ franchise FDDs
  • Franchisee names, phone numbers & locations
  • Revenue data, fees, investment breakdowns
  • SBA loan history & default rates
  • Litigation, bankruptcy & due diligence data
  • Pay once, access everything forever