Taco Bell franchise: what it costs
Opening a new free-standing Taco Bell franchise costs $1,859,750 to $4,312,200, based on its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
Taco Bell franchise cost, item by item
- Full cost of opening
- $1,859,750 to $4,312,200 Item 7, 2026 FDD
- Franchise fee you pay one time at the start
- $45,000 Item 5, 2026 FDD
- Royalty, your ongoing payments to the brand
- 5.5% on gross sales Item 6, 2026 FDD
- Marketing fund, which covers shared advertising
- 4.25% on gross sales Item 6, 2026 FDD
- Figures on sales or earnings
- Shared, with no single main number Item 19, 2026 FDD
- Number of locations at the end of 2025
- Franchise owners ran 7,335; the company ran 663 Item 20, 2026 FDD
Every figure above comes from the 2026 Taco Bell Franchise Disclosure Document, which Taco Bell Franchisor, LLC filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce; it is dated March 26, 2026. Each small label points to the numbered part of the FDD where that figure sits.
Sales and earnings numbers in the Taco Bell FDD
Item 19 is the FDD part where a brand may say how much its locations sell or earn. Taco Bell shares figures there, but no single main number can be quoted. Before you rely on any of them, go through the Item 19 tables all the way.
Before you trust any figure in it, our guide walks you through reading Item 19.
Taco Bell beside other restaurant franchises
Most restaurant franchises on this site cost less to open than Taco Bell; the middle one starts at $1.34M.
| Brand | Total cost to opentotal, lowest to highest | Upfront feeone-time fee | Royaltyongoing, usually a % of sales | Sales or earnings showndoes the brand show sales figures | Year filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | $263K to $630K | $15,000 | 8% | No | 2026 |
| Jimmy John's | $366K to $734K | $35,000 | 6% | Yes | 2026 |
| Firehouse Subs | $405K to $876K | $20,000 | 6% | Yes | 2026 |
| Jersey Mike's | $436K to $1.16M | $20,000 | 6.5% | Yes | 2026 |
| Arby's | $869K to $2.46M | $37,500 | 4% | Yes | 2026 |
| Five Guys | $928K to $1.38M | $25,000 | 6% | No | 2026 |
| Panera Bread | $1.34M to $4.57M | $50,000 | 5% | Yes | 2026 |
| McDonald's | $1.47M to $2.64M | $45,000 | 5% (plus rent) | Yes | 2024 |
| Sonic Drive-In | $1.49M to $2.52M | $15,000 | 5% | Yes | 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. Once you've opened, you keep paying the brand a royalty, either a share of sales or a set amount. "Sales or earnings shown" tells you if the brand shares how much 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.
The number of Taco Bell locations
At the end of 2025, the United States had 7,998 Taco Bell locations, with franchise owners running 92% of them (Item 20). In that same part of the FDD, you get phone numbers for owners still running stores and ones who left. Your best way to learn how these costs play out in real life is to call a few of them.
Get the Taco Bell FDD read by a franchise attorney
Before you sign, one franchise attorney can go through the Taco Bell FDD and franchise agreement with you.