Franchises with the highest Item 19 figures
The ranking is based on the headline figure every brand publishes in Item 19. At $9,161,239, Chick-fil-A sits in first place.
| Brand | Category | total, lowest to highest | one-time fee | ongoing, usually a % of sales | Year filed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chick-fil-A | Chicken | $318K to $3.46M | $10,000 | 15% + 50% of profit | $9.16M | 2026 |
| Culver's | Restaurants | $3.41M to $10.3M | $45,000 to $65,000 | 4% | $4.14M | 2026 |
| McDonald's | Restaurants | $1.47M to $2.64M | $45,000 | 5% (plus rent) | $3.96M | 2024 |
| Primrose Schools | Childcare | $5.02M to $7.96M | $50,000 to $80,000 | 7% | $3.59M | 2026 |
| Ace Hardware | Retail | $604K to $2M | $5,000 | None | $3M | 2025 |
| Crunch Fitness | Fitness | $2.15M to $5.37M | $35,000 | 5% | $2.85M | 2026 |
| Zaxby's | Chicken | $1.45M to $3.81M | $35,000 | 6% | $2.78M | 2025 |
| Home Instead | Senior care | $93K to $351K | $54,000 | 5% | $2.75M | 2026 |
| 7 Brew | Coffee | $941K to $2.28M | $35,000 | 4.5% to 7% | $2.65M | 2026 |
| Pet Supplies Plus | Pets | $520K to $1.82M | $49,900 | 2%, then 3% | $2.62M | 2026 |
| Panera Bread | Restaurants | $1.34M to $4.57M | $50,000 | 5% | $2.54M | 2026 |
| BrightStar Care | Senior care | $101K to $217K | $50,000 | 5.25% | $2.43M | 2026 |
| Slim Chickens | Chicken | $1.19M to $4.94M | $30,000 | 5% | $2.35M | 2026 |
| Kiddie Academy | Childcare | $590K to $1.01M | $70,000 to $150,000 | 7% | $2.19M | 2026 |
| The Learning Experience | Childcare | $806K to $1.56M | $60,000 | 7% | $2.19M | 2026 |
| Wendy's | Restaurants | $1.52M to $2.99M | $50,000 | 4% | $2.11M | 2025 |
| Mr. Rooter | Home services | $153K to $299K | $42,500 | 6% | $2.09M | 2026 |
| Tommy's Express Car Wash | Automotive | $3.48M to $11.8M | $50,000 | 4% | $2.08M | 2026 |
| Popeyes | Chicken | $1.22M to $3.92M | $50,000 | 5% | $1.89M | 2026 |
| Planet Fitness | Fitness | $1.28M to $5.39M | $40,000 | 7% of dues | $1.87M | 2026 |
| Valvoline Instant Oil Change | Automotive | $192K to $640K | $30,000 | 6% from year three | $1.84M | 2026 |
| Right at Home | Senior care | $94K to $176K | $49,500 | 5% | $1.84M | 2026 |
| Burger King | Restaurants | $2.04M to $4.73M | $50,000 | 4.5% | $1.69M | 2026 |
| Sonic Drive-In | Restaurants | $1.49M to $2.52M | $15,000 | 5% | $1.55M | 2026 |
| Chicken Salad Chick | Chicken | $777K to $999K | $50,000 | 5% | $1.5M | 2026 |
| Nothing Bundt Cakes | Bakery and snacks | $475K to $994K | $45,000 | 6% | $1.48M | 2026 |
| Dunkin' | Coffee | $532K to $1.83M | $40,000 to $90,000 | 5.9% | $1.37M | 2026 |
| Jersey Mike's | Restaurants | $436K to $1.16M | $20,000 | 6.5% | $1.37M | 2026 |
| Blaze Pizza | Pizza | $757K to $1.3M | $30,000 | 5% | $1.34M | 2026 |
| Comfort Keepers | Senior care | $120K to $191K | $55,000 | 5% | $1.28M | 2026 |
Before you buy, a brand has to hand over its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD); the brand's latest one is where every figure comes from. After you open, you keep paying the brand a royalty: a share of sales or a set amount. "Sales or earnings shown" tells you whether the brand shares what its locations take in. A K stands for thousand, an M for million. The filing year is the year that FDD was listed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
Sales aren't profit
Average or median sales are the numbers most brands release; they show sales, not profit. That figure has to cover wages, rent, loan payments, food costs and the royalty. A bigger number does not always mean the owner earns more.
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