Quick Verdict · who it fits
Duck Donuts fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$394K - $629K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$40K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 2% ad
Item 19 median rev
$467k franchised outlets, open 24+ months
System size (Item 20)
145 +23
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
5+ yrs
Company-owned units
1
Item 3 litigation
1 suit
Model Duck Donuts's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
•No exclusive territory✓No bankruptcy disclosed•1 Item 3 case
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 6% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$470,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (2%)
—
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.
146
Total units open
23
Units opened last year
20
Units closed last year
6 terminated + 0 non-renewed + 1 reacquired + 14 ceased operations
3
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
4
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Duck Donuts ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
56th pct · of 811 peers
Franchise fee
57th pct · of 811 peers
System size
82nd pct · of 811 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$528K - $1.3M
Avg franchise fee
$38K
Avg system size
235
Franchises analyzed
811
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Donuts | Disclosed | $40K | $394K - $629K | 6% | 145 |
| Sambazon USA Franchising Llc (sambazon Acai Bowls)Similar price | None | $30K | $380K - $630K | 5% | 0 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $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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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
The 2026 Cinnabon Franchisor SPV LLC disclosure puts a Full Bakery at $196,250 to $715,100 with a $35,500 fee, and reports a $600,536 median across 189 enclosed mall bakeries.
Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Duck Donuts requires a $40,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $394,150–$628,700, per the most recent FDD on file.
Duck Donuts franchises are sold by Duck Donuts Holdings, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. Duck Donuts discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $466,950. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% and an advertising fund contribution of 2% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Duck Donuts has 145 total locations, with 23 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
No. Duck Donuts 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.
Per the FDD, Duck Donuts discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $7,500, a transfer fee of $20,000. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt