The Original Pancake House franchise
A breakfast restaurant specializing in pancakes, waffles and omelets. At the end of 2025 there were 151 The Original Pancake House locations in the US, 150 franchised and 1 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $483K–$1.67M
- Franchise fee
- $60,000
- Royalty
- 2% of gross sales
- Locations, 2025
- 151+4 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE FRANCHISING INC. (THE)’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a The Original Pancake House franchise costs
Opening Single restaurant costs an estimated $482,500 to $1,666,250. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE FRANCHISING INC. (THE), 2026 filing, page 14
The Original Pancake House franchise fee
The franchise fee is $60,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE FRANCHISING INC. (THE), 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 2% of gross sales. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE FRANCHISING INC. (THE), 2026 filing, page 11
Sales and earnings
No figures The Original Pancake House does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE FRANCHISING INC. (THE), 2026 filing, page 37
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 147 (+1) | 1 | 4 |
| 2024 | 146 (−1) | 1 | 3 |
| 2025 | 150 (+4) | 1 | 2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
The Original Pancake House passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; it publishes no sales or earnings figures.
Source: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE FRANCHISING INC. (THE), 2026 filing, page 38
How The Original Pancake House compares
Of the 171 restaurant franchises on this site, The Original Pancake House is the 76th cheapest to open and the 66th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | The Original Pancake House | Typical restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $483K | $526K |
| Royalty | 2% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 2.1% | 4.1% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +2.7% | +5.7% |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 125 of 171 |
Typical is the median across the 171 brands in restaurant franchises.
