How much does a Papa John’s franchise cost?
Opening a Papa John’s franchise takes a total initial investment of $281,485 to $890,267, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median net royalty sales in category of $1,043,433 across 2,389 outlets.
Papa Johns franchises standard (traditional), Small-Town, and Non-Traditional Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Papa John’s franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $281,485 to $890,267. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction/Leasehold Improvements ($102,000 to $365,000), Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment ($77,000 to $239,000), and Additional Funds – 3 months ($20,000 to $50,000). Together they make up about 73% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $5,000 to $25,000, about 1.8% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee; Development Fee Deposit2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $5,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| GIS New Store Map Package2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $1,071 | $1,071 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Construction/ | $102,000 | $365,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $77,000 | $239,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Information System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $20,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| On-Site Support Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $2,500 | $2,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| On-Site Installation Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $2,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Help Desk Service Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $240 | $240 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Software Maintenance Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $1,125 | $1,491 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| PapaNet2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $1,200 | $1,350 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Hot Schedules2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $99 | $165 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $7,300 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Test Fit Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $950 | $950 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| First Month's Rent2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $2,500 | $8,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Security Deposit and other deposits, Insurance Premium2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $2,500 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Opening Inventory and Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $6,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Opening Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $10,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Training Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $15,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $5,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Additional Funds – 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $20,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17-19 | $281,485 | $890,267 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17-19 |
Source Papa John’s, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17-19, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 19
What Papa John’s franchisees actually report earning
Median Net Royalty Sales in Category
$1,043,433
Papa John’s' 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the Fiscal year ended December 28, 2025. Basis: Standard Restaurants in the U.S. that were open the entire year of 2025.
Sample size: 2,389 outlets. The FDD also reports average net royalty sales in category of $1,097,987. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- The figures exclude Non-Traditional Restaurants and Small Town Restaurants.
- The figures exclude standard Restaurants that did not operate for the full year due to being opened in 2025 or temporarily closed during 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Papa John’s outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Papa John’s, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 67, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 20
How many Papa John’s outlets there are, and how many closed
Papa John’s ended 2025 with 2,832 franchised outlets and 462 company-owned outlets. In that year 162 franchised outlets opened and 82 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Papa John’s opened 325 franchised outlets and 151 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 174, from 2,658 to 2,832 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 32 were terminated, 10 were bought back by the franchisor, and 109 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 1.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 54.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,752 | 162 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 2,832 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80 |
| 2024 | 2,689 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 2,752 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80 |
| 2023 | 2,658 | 73 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 2,689 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80 |
Source Papa John’s, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Compare
How Papa John’s compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Papa John’s' estimated range is $585,876. It costs more to open than 51% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 1.9% for Papa John’s. That is lower than 84% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Papa John’s' franchised system grew 6.5%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 4.4%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Papa John’s is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Papa John’s files a new FDD
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