Arby's Franchise Review 2026: Ratings & Verdict

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

Arby's Franchisor, LLC fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature food & beverage concept.

✓ Strengths

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$869K - $2.5M

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$38K

Royalty (Item 6)

4–6.2% + 3.22–5% ad

System size (Item 20)

2,344 +136

Years in business

11+ yrs

Company-owned units

921

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.

What you'd pay the franchisor

Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 4–6.2% + ad fund 3.22–5% on gross sales.

PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000

$100k$2M

Royalty (4–6.2%)

Ad fund (3.22–5%)

Total / year

▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration

Executive Summary

Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.

Key Numbers

3,265

Total units open

U.S. only; 243 international franchised units also operating

58 net new franchised units in 2025

Units opened last year

78 franchised units ceased operations in 2025

Units closed last year

-120 total U.S. units (franchised +58, comp

Net unit growth

AI Due Diligence Findings PREMIUM

What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.

4

Risks to review

3

Strengths identified

5

Questions to ask

Industry Benchmarks

How Arby's ranks against 550 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

84th pct · of 550 peers

Franchise fee

54th pct · of 550 peers

System size

96th pct · of 550 peers

Food & Beverage industry averages

Avg investment

$602K - $1.4M

Avg franchise fee

$44K

Avg system size

349

Franchises analyzed

550

How Arby's stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
Arby's Disclosed $38K $869K - $2.5M 4–6.2% 2,344
Engine No.9Similar price None $25K $563K - $2.5M 5
Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system Disclosed $15K $227K - $630K 8% 18,773
Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category Disclosed $50K $3.5M - $6.4M 5.5% 33

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Arby's Franchisor, LLC franchise cost?

Arby's Franchisor, LLC requires a $37,500 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $868,550–$2,456,600, per the most recent FDD on file.

Does Arby's Franchisor, LLC disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Yes. Arby's Franchisor, LLC discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.

What ongoing fees does Arby's Franchisor, LLC charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of 4% of Gross Sales for Traditional Restaurants; 6.2% of Gross Sales for Non-Traditional Restaurants and an advertising fund contribution of 3.22% to 5.0% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many Arby's Franchisor, LLC locations are there?

As of their 2026 FDD, Arby's Franchisor, LLC has 2,344 total locations, with 136 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

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