Quick Verdict · who it fits
Thai Express fits first-time franchise buyers looking for an emerging food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$360K - $950K
Royalty (Item 6)
6%
System size (Item 20)
5
Model Thai Express's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2024 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% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (6%)
—
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.
7
Total units open
0
Units opened last year
2
Units closed last year
2 ceased operations - other reasons
-2
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2024 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Thai Express ranks against 749 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
50th pct · of 749 peers
System size
22nd pct · of 749 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$589K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
261
Franchises analyzed
749
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thai Express | None | — | $360K - $950K | 6% | 5 |
| Dae Gee Franchising, Llc (dae Gee Korean)Similar price | Disclosed | — | $480K - $949K | — | 2 |
| 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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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.
Brand Analysis
The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company franchises the ice cream shops on a $30,000 fee and a 4% royalty, with a 2026 Item 7 range of $213,329 to $591,579. The trademark belongs to a different company, and the ice cream you are required to buy comes from a third.
Thai Express requires a total initial investment range of $360,400–$949,700, per the most recent FDD on file.
Thai Express is franchised by MTY Franchising USA, Inc. (Thai Express), 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. Thai Express 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 6% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2024 FDD, Thai Express has 5 total locations. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
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