Taco Bell vs Wendy's: franchise cost side by side

Wendy's is the cheaper of the two to open, from $1,523,957; Taco Bell starts at $1,859,750.

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

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Wendy's is the cheaper to open, from $1,523,957.

Taco Bell starts at $1,859,750, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.

From each FDD	Taco Bell	Wendy's
Total cost to open	$1,859,750 to $4,312,200	$1,523,957 to $2,992,000
Upfront fee	$45,000	$50,000
Royalty (ongoing fee)	5.5% of gross sales	4% of gross sales
Marketing fund	4.25% of gross sales	2% to 4% of gross sales on advertising
Published sales	Published, no single figure	$2,108,454 a year (average of 5,325 locations, 2024)
Outlets	7,335 franchised, 663 company	5,552 franchised, 381 company
Year filed	2026	2025

More comparisons with Taco Bell and Wendy'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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