Franchise Comparator

Jimmy John's vs Subway: franchise cost side by side

Subway is the cheaper of the two to open, from $263,000; Jimmy John's starts at $366,200.

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

Subway is the cheaper to open, from $263,000.

Jimmy John's starts at $366,200, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.

From each FDDJimmy John's logoJimmy John'sSubway logoSubway
Total cost to open$366,200 to $733,500$263,000 to $630,000
Upfront fee$35,000$15,000
Royalty (ongoing fee)6% of weekly gross sales8% of gross sales
Marketing fund4.5% of weekly gross sales4.5% of gross sales
Published sales$1,007,437 a year (average of 2,581 locations, 2025)None published
Outlets2,737 franchised, 40 company18,773 franchised, 0 company
Year filed20262026

Not sure which brands to pick? Get help choosing or browse the full table.

Read the full figures on the Jimmy John's franchise page and the Subway franchise page, or read how to compare franchise costs.

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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