Quick Verdict · who it fits
Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$1.5M - $3.8M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$35K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 4% ad
System size (Item 20)
865 +41
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
5+ yrs
Company-owned units
140
Buyer qualifications
•No exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed
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 4% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$2,780,000
$100k$5.1M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (4%)
—
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.
1,005
Total units open
39 franchised units
Units opened last year
41 opened, 8 closed, net +39
8
Units closed last year
+39 units in 2025
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
4
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
3
Questions to ask
How Zaxby's ranks against 561 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
93rd pct · of 561 peers
Franchise fee
37th pct · of 561 peers
System size
90th pct · of 561 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$594K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$44K
Avg system size
346
Franchises analyzed
561
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaxby's | Disclosed | $35K | $1.5M - $3.8M | 6% | 865 |
| Tim Ho Wan International Pte.Similar price | None | $86K | $3.2M - $3.8M | 3% | 6 |
| 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 |
Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC requires a $35,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $1,460,000–$3,810,500, per the most recent FDD on file.
Yes. Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% and an advertising fund contribution of 4% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC has 865 total locations, with 41 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
No. Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC 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, Zaxby's SPE Franchisor LLC discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years. 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