Home › Compare

Captain D's vs Del Taco — which franchise is the better buy?

Side by side from the public FDDs — no franchisor spin.

	Captain D's	Del Taco
Disclosure honesty	B	C
Investment from	$662,000	$1,497,200
Total fees	5.5%	9%
Outlets	518	594
Lawsuits	0	12

Captain D's: what their numbers say

Gross sales data for 210 franchised and 281 company-owned comparable restaurants for fiscal year 2025. Franchised avg $1,082,533; company-owned avg $1,010,526. Does not include royalties, advertising fees, or franchisee-specific expenses.

Del Taco: what their numbers say

Franchised restaurants: avg sales $1,613,899 (2024). Company-owned: avg sales $1,804,158, operating profit $383,324 before rent. Data from 387 franchised, 116 company-owned locations. No audited verification.

Get the real owner take-home for either — $149

Full net-profit math, financing, red flags. See a sample →