Restaurant franchises and what they cost to open
Compare these 13 restaurant franchises side by side; opening one costs $263K to $10.29M.
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| Brand | , lowest and highest estimate | , paid once | , ongoing fee | Headline salesItem 19, before costs | Marketing fundItem 6, on top of the royalty | US locationsItem 20, at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Subway2026 FDD, restaurant | $263K to $630K | $15,000 | 8% | Not given by the brand | 4.5% of gross sales | 18,773down 1,803 since 2023 |
 Jimmy John's2026 FDD, restaurant | $366K to $734K | $35,000 | 6% | $1.01M a yearaverage of 2,581 locations, 2025 | 4.5% of weekly gross sales | 2,777up 140 since 2023 |
 Firehouse Subs2026 FDD, in-line restaurant | $405K to $876K | $20,000 | 6% | $974K a yearaverage of 1,033 locations, 2025 | 5% of gross sales | 1,291up 104 since 2023 |
 Jersey Mike's2026 FDD, restaurant | $436K to $1.16M | $20,000 | 6.5% | $1.37M a yearaverage of 2,606 locations, 2025 | Two advertising funds: 5% of gross receipts in total | 3,227end of 2025 |
 Arby's2026 FDD, free-standing restaurant | $869K to $2.46M | $37,500 | 4% | $1.27M a yearaverage of 2,182 locations, 2025 | 3.22% to 5% of gross sales | 3,265end of 2025 |
 Five Guys2026 FDD, restaurant | $928K to $1.38M | $25,000 | 6% | Not given by the brand | up to 4% of gross sales (2% now) | 1,583up 106 since 2023 |
 Panera Bread2026 FDD, bakery-cafe | $1.34M to $4.57M | $50,000 | 5% | $2.54M a yearaverage of 1,073 locations, 2025 | To the national advertising fund, 4% of net sales | 2,214end of 2025 |
 McDonald's2024 FDD, restaurant | $1.47M to $2.64M | $45,000 | 5% (plus rent) | $3.96M a yearaverage of 11,972 locations, 2023 | at least 4% of gross sales on advertising | 13,457down 222 since 2021 |
 Sonic Drive-In2026 FDD, drive-in restaurant | $1.49M to $2.52M | $15,000 | 5% | $1.55M a yearaverage of 3,057 locations, 2025 | The brand charges 0.9% on gross sales, and at least 3.25% goes toward local advertising. | 3,412end of 2025 |
 Wendy's2025 FDD, restaurant | $1.52M to $2.99M | $50,000 | 4% | $2.11M a yearaverage of 5,325 locations, 2024 | 2% to 4% of gross sales on advertising | 5,933down 5 since 2022 |
 Taco Bell2026 FDD, new free-standing restaurant | $1.86M to $4.31M | $45,000 | 5.5% | Several figures, no single average | 4.25% of gross sales | 7,998end of 2025 |
 Burger King2026 FDD, free-standing restaurant | $2.04M to $4.73M | $50,000 | 4.5% | $1.69M a yearaverage of 4,730 locations, 2025 | up to 4.5% of gross sales | 6,650down 392 since 2023 |
 Culver's2026 FDD, restaurant | $3.41M to $10.3M | $45,000 to $65,000 | 4% | $4.14M a yearaverage of 988 locations, 2025 | 2.5% of gross sales | 1,041up 149 since 2023 |
A brand must give you its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) before you buy, and every figure comes from the brand's most recent one. The brand keeps collecting a royalty from you once you're open, either a set amount or a share of sales. Check the "Sales or earnings shown" entry to see if the brand says what its locations take in. Thousand is written as K, million as M.
Each brand reports its own Item 19 number as headline sales, with costs not taken out; the stores and year behind it change by brand, and that brand's page gives the details. The brands here are compared like for like, ranked by average unit volume.
Other restaurant franchises people ask about
Put restaurant franchises side by side
- from $436Kvsfrom $366KJersey Mike's vs Jimmy John'sCost to open, Item 7, 2026 FDDs
- from $1.47Mvsfrom $2.04MMcDonald's vs Burger KingCost to open, Item 7, 2024 and 2026 FDDs
- from $263Kvsfrom $405KSubway vs Firehouse SubsCost to open, Item 7, 2026 FDDs
- from $263Kvsfrom $366KSubway vs Jimmy John'sCost to open, Item 7, 2026 FDDs
What does it cost to open a restaurant franchise?
In this group, $1,337,139 is the middle entry cost. With a $263,000 start, Subway is the cheapest way in, while Culver's can reach $10,294,100 at the top. Initial franchise fees range between $15,000 and $65,000.
Fast-casual, sub and burger franchises
Burger, sandwich, sub and fast-casual brands make up this group. Pizza, chicken and coffee are covered on their own pages. The high end fits restaurants with a drive-thru or full dining room; the low end fits a small counter inside a strip center.
The brands that share earnings figures
Earnings figures appear in Item 19 of the FDD for 11 of the 13. The rest don't publish any sales figures, so current owners are the ones to ask about what the numbers come to. Reading an Item 19.
Major restaurant names that don't franchise
In the United States, Chipotle, In-N-Out Burger, CAVA, Sweetgreen and Shake Shack don't sell franchises, so there's no FDD to compare. Those pages each list the restaurant franchises you can buy as an alternative.
Weighing up restaurant franchises?
A franchise consultant can shortlist restaurant franchises that fit your cash and your area.