Quick Verdict · who it fits
Circle K fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature retail concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$328K - $2.9M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$25K
Royalty (Item 6)
3.5–6% + 0.25–1.5% ad
System size (Item 20)
515 +7
Years in business
31+ yrs
Company-owned units
5,556
Item 3 litigation
6 suits
Model Circle K's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Financing available•No exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed•6 Item 3 cases
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 3.5–6% + ad fund 0.25–1.5% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (3.5–6%)
—
Ad fund (0.25–1.5%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
6,125
Total units open
569 franchised + 5,556 company-owned, including Motor Fuel locations
18 franchised locations
Units opened last year
25 franchised locations ceased operations
Units closed last year
-17 franchised units
Net unit growth
2025
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Circle K ranks against 119 Retail peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
81st pct · of 119 peers
Franchise fee
25th pct · of 119 peers
System size
90th pct · of 119 peers
Retail industry averages
Avg investment
$246K - $701K
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
238
Franchises analyzed
119
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle K | None | $25K | $328K - $2.9M | 3.5–6% | 515 |
| Cleaners DepotSimilar price | Disclosed | $30K | $263K - $3.0M | 3.5–6.5% | 52 |
| 7-ElevenBiggest system | Disclosed | — | $163K - $1.7M | 45–56% | 7,274 |
| Byrider Franchising PartnersTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $60K | $947K - $1.6M | 1–2.5% | 81 |
Not sure Circle K is the one?
Answer five questions and get matched against 2,000+ analyzed FDDs — including every Retail brand we cover. Free, no account needed.
Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
The '$0 franchise fee' is the bottom of a range, not the fee. 7-Eleven's 2026 FDD prices the Franchise Fee at $0 to $1,100,000 per store, and the ongoing 7-Eleven Charge is not just a royalty: Item 6 says it is also your lease of the store and equipment. Here is the full cost stack, line by line.
Brand Analysis
Ace Hardware Corporation is a retailer-owned cooperative, not a conventional franchisor. It counted 5,250 cooperative locations in the United States at the end of 2025, members buy stock rather than paying a royalty, and some states still deem those member-owned stores franchises.
Investment Guide
Laundromats are the most-Googled passive-income business, and 2026 is a strong moment for the category. Here's an honest breakdown of what laundromat franchises actually cost, how profitable they are, and which brands deserve a serious look.
Circle K requires a $25,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $327,500–$2,874,650, per the most recent FDD on file.
Circle K is franchised by TMC FRANCHISE CORP, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
No. Circle K does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 3.5% to 6.0% of Gross Sales, with a minimum of $1,000 per month and an advertising fund contribution of 0.25% to 1.5% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Circle K has 515 total locations, with 7 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
No. Circle K does not grant exclusive territory rights under Item 12. The franchisor retains the right to operate or grant additional units inside or adjacent to your trade area.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt