How much is a Denny's franchise? $1,618,375 – $3,056,875 to open, per its disclosure filings
$1,618,375 – $3,056,875
Opening a Denny's franchise takes $1,618,375 – $3,056,875 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $30,000 – $66,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 7% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of 3% – 3.25%. To qualify, Denny's asks for $500,000 in liquid cash and a $1,000,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Denny's cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $30,000 | $66,000 | $30,000 to $66,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $1,618,375 | $3,056,875 | $1,618,375 to $3,056,875 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $1,618,375 | $3,056,875 | $1,618,375 to $3,056,875 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 7% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | 3% – 3.25% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 20 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $1,618,375 – $3,056,875 range is derived from Denny'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 7% on sales, the ad-fund contribution of 3% – 3.25%, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Denny's's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Denny's's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $1,618,375 — about 5.7× the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $30,000 — about in line with 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 Denny'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 Denny'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 Denny's franchise fee?
$30,000 – $66,000, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Denny's charge?
A royalty of 7% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of 3% – 3.25%, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
How much money do you need to qualify for a Denny's franchise?
Denny's's filings ask for $500,000 in liquid cash and a $1,000,000 minimum net worth (as of 2026-05). Capital figures are the franchisor's stated minimums, not our advice.