Burger King vs Wendy's: franchise cost side by side

Wendy's is the cheaper of the two to open, from $1,523,957; Burger King starts at $2,039,200.

Every figure comes from the brand's FDD, the disclosure file it must hand you before you sign.

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Wendy's is the cheaper to open, from $1,523,957.

Burger King starts at $2,039,200, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.

From each FDD	Burger King	Wendy's
Total cost to open	$2,039,200 to $4,730,600	$1,523,957 to $2,992,000
Upfront fee	$50,000	$50,000
Royalty (ongoing fee)	4.5% of gross sales	4% of gross sales
Marketing fund	up to 4.5% of gross sales	2% to 4% of gross sales on advertising
Published sales	$1,692,549 a year (average of 4,730 locations, 2025)	$2,108,454 a year (average of 5,325 locations, 2024)
Outlets	5,518 franchised, 1,132 company	5,552 franchised, 381 company
Year filed	2026	2025

More comparisons with Burger King and Wendy's

Every brand's fee, royalty and Item 7 range is also in one table you can download: the franchise fee comparison.

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