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Food & Beverage · 856 Brands
Food & Beverage franchises typically require $357K–$809K to open (median $581K), charge a median 5% royalty, and we track 856 brands with FDD data; 521 of them disclose Item 19 earnings. Every figure comes from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document: Item 7 for the investment range, Item 6 for royalties, and Item 19 for earnings. Compare the leading brands side by side in the table below before you shortlist.
How much does a food franchise cost? It depends entirely on the format. Mobile, kiosk, and delivery-only concepts can open for well under $100K, while full-service restaurants with a build-out, kitchen, and lease can reach $1M or more. Browse FDDs across the full menu of restaurant franchise opportunities, with focused hubs for pizza, chicken, burgers, ice cream and dessert, coffee and beverage, sandwiches and subs, bakery and breakfast, and Mexican and Latin concepts. Because format drives the economics, weigh a delivery-only kitchen's low rent against a full-service restaurant's higher sales and heavier payroll, then compare each brand's food franchise cost, royalty, and Item 19 revenue in the table below.
Franchises
856
Avg Investment
$528K–$1295K
Avg Royalty
5.2%
Item 19
61%
12 food & beverage brands ranked by total units in their latest FDD (Item 20). Investment is the Item 7 range; fee and royalty come from Items 5 and 6.
| Brand | Investment | Franchise fee | Royalty | Units | Item 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | $227K–$630K | $15K | 8% | 18,773 | No |
| McDonald's | $701K–$2.8M | $45K | 4.0% to 5.0% | 13,062 | Yes |
| Dunkin' | $142K–$1.8M | $90K | 5.9% | 9,963 | Yes |
| Domino's | $107K–$744K | $10K | 5.5% | 6,974 | Yes |
| YANGGUOFU | N/A | $20K | N/A | 5,945 | No |
| Wendy's | $1.6M–$3.1M | $50K | 4.0% to 6.0% | 5,546 | Yes |
| Burger King | $2.2M–$3.3M | $50K | 4.5% | 5,518 | Yes |
| Freshly Go | $54K–$135K | $5K | N/A | 3,827 | No |
| Little Caesars | $377K–$1.8M | $20K | 6% | 3,788 | No |
| KFC | $1.2M–$4.2M | $45K | 4% to 5.25% or a minimum… | 3,404 | Yes |
| Chick-fil-A | $586K–$3.4M | $10K | 7.0% to 10.0% | 3,219 | Yes |
| Jersey Mike's | $436K–$1.2M | $20K | 6.5% | 3,201 | Yes |
Editor's shortlist. The table ranks by the numbers alone. For our editors' picks, with the trade-offs and FDD footnotes behind each one, read Best Food Franchises Under $250K (2026).
Search, filter, and compare every food & beverage franchise we've analyzed. Select up to four to compare side by side.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 HandlesFood & Beverage· Est. 2022 | Disclosed | $30K | $250K - $657K | 6% | 31 | |
| 3 Natives Acai CafeFood & Beverage | None | $40K | $311K - $524K | 6% | 34 | |
| Fried Chicken MasterFood & Beverage· Est. 2019 | None | $50K | $214K - $366K | 4% | 0 | |
| Jersey Mike'sFood & Beverage· Est. 2019 | Disclosed | $20K | $436K - $1.2M | 6.5% | 3,201 | |
| A&WFood & Beverage | None | $15K | $299K - $1.6M | 5% | 427 | |
| SoBolFood & Beverage | Disclosed | $35K | $196K - $471K | 5% | 65 | |
| Freshly GoFood & Beverage· Est. 2012 | None | $5K | $54K - $135K | — | 3,827 | |
| AfuriFood & Beverage | None | $45K | $591K - $1.2M | 5% | 1 | |
| CurritoFood & Beverage | Disclosed | $35K | $344K - $959K | 6% | 14 | |
| PresoteaFood & Beverage· Est. 2024 | None | $50K | $1K - $500K | 5% | 30 | |
| Cowboy Jack'sFood & Beverage | None | $45K | $1.5M - $6.1M | 5% | 9 | |
| Angry Crab ShackFood & Beverage· Est. 2015 | Disclosed | $50K | $422K - $1.2M | 5% | 19 | |
| Asel BeeFood & Beverage· Est. 2020 | None | $30K | $155K - $507K | 5% | 0 | |
| Atl Wing SpotFood & Beverage· Est. 2024 | Disclosed | $25K | $124K - $338K | 5% | 5 | |
| Atomic Wings Franchisor Inc (unit)Food & Beverage· Est. 2006 | None | $30K | $120K - $516K | 5% | 22 | |
| Chaiwale & CoFood & Beverage· Est. 2025 | Disclosed | $35K | $211K - $580K | 6% | 0 | |
| Abbott’s Frozen CustardFood & Beverage | Disclosed | $37K | $494K - $1.8M | 5.5–6% | 24 | |
| Abu Omar HalalFood & Beverage· Est. 2023 | Disclosed | $35K | $362K - $797K | 6% | 0 | |
| Acai ExpressFood & Beverage | Disclosed | $25K | $158K - $429K | 6% | 38 | |
| Ace SushiFood & Beverage· Est. 2004 | None | $6K | $18K - $228K | 8–15% | 117 | |
| Ace SushiFood & Beverage· Est. 2004 | None | $6K | $18K - $228K | 8–15% | 117 |
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State-by-state food & beverage franchise opportunities — regulatory framework, top brands, and investment ranges for buyers in each state.
It depends on the format. Mobile, kiosk, and delivery-only concepts can open for well under $100K, while full-service restaurants with a kitchen, build-out, and lease reach $1M or more, with quick-service and fast-casual concepts in between. Item 7 of each brand's FDD breaks that range into line items, from franchise fee to build-out.
Food franchising spans pizza, chicken, burgers, ice cream and dessert, coffee and beverage, sandwiches and subs, bakery and breakfast, and Mexican and Latin concepts, each with its own hub. Compare investment range, franchise fee, royalty rate, and Item 19 data across them to find the restaurant franchise opportunities that fit your budget.
Many food and beverage franchises include Item 19 Financial Performance Representations showing average unit volumes or revenue. Use the Item 19 filter above to find restaurant and QSR brands that disclose actual figures before you invest.
Restaurant franchise royalties typically range from about 4% to 8% of gross sales, with many QSR brands around 5% to 6%, plus a separate advertising fund contribution. Item 6 of each FDD details every ongoing fee.
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