KFC vs Zaxby's: franchise cost side by side

Zaxby's is the cheaper of the two to open, from $1,445,000; KFC starts at $2,107,575.

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

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Zaxby's is the cheaper to open, from $1,445,000.

KFC starts at $2,107,575, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.

From each FDD	KFC	Zaxby's
Total cost to open	$2,107,575 to $4,155,000	$1,445,000 to $3,810,500
Upfront fee	$45,000	$35,000
Royalty (ongoing fee)	5% of gross revenue (at least $1,440 a month)	6% of gross sales
Marketing fund	5.8% of gross revenue for now, falling in later years	1.5% of gross sales
Published sales	Published, no single figure	$2,782,488 a year (average of 776 locations, 2024)
Outlets	3,404 franchised, 86 company	826 franchised, 143 company
Year filed	2026	2025

More comparisons with KFC and Zaxby'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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