Burger franchise costs

Burger franchising splits into the drive-thru giants, which have thousands of restaurants and mostly sell new sites to owners who already run several, and the better-burger brands, fast-casual or sit-down, which are smaller and still recruit first-time owners. The giants also sell existing restaurants: buying one from a retiring owner is a common way in, and the price then depends on that restaurant’s sales rather than on the estimate below.

Burgers are among the most expensive restaurants to build, because so many brands want a freestanding building with a drive-thru on a busy road.

What a burger franchise costs

Across the 63 brands on the burger list, the typical cost to open runs from $556K at the low end of each brand’s estimate to $1.52M at the high end. The low end is a small location in a cheaper market with little build-out; the high end a large site in an expensive one. Of these brands, 6 start at $250K or less and 1 at $100K or less.

Where the money goes

Each franchisor itemizes its cost to open. Grouping the lines for the 53 burger brands with a full breakdown shows what a typical budget pays for, as an average share of the high estimate, with the typical amount.

The building is most of the bill: site work, a drive-thru lane, a kitchen with grills, fryers and ventilation, and a dining room. Many estimates leave out land, or assume you lease the site. In-line fast-casual shops in a strip center cost less to fit out but sell less through a window. Equipment and signs are the second largest share for most brands.

Cheapest and most expensive burger franchises

The cheapest burger brands with at least 20 US locations, by the low end of the cost to open. Use the full range on each brand’s page for budgeting, not the low end alone.

Fees and royalties

The typical burger brand charges a franchise fee of $35K, a royalty of 5% of sales and 2% to a marketing fund. Another 2 brands charge a flat or tiered royalty instead of a single percentage. Royalties and marketing come off sales before rent, staff or loan payments, so on a $1.56M year they cost about $109K. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.

What burger franchise locations sell

Of the burger brands, 26 publish a comparable yearly sales figure per location. The typical one is $1.56M, above the $797K typical across all brands.

The largest drive-thru chains post some of the highest sales per restaurant of any franchise, but they also cost the most to build. Many burger brands sell less a year than they cost to open, so judge them on sales against cost, not on sales alone, and ask what rent comes on top of the royalty.

Which burger franchises are growing

Of the 31 burger brands with three years of figures, 18 added US locations from 2023 to 2025 and 12 shrank. The typical brand with 20 or more locations changed by −1.5%, against +3.8% across all franchises.

The brands that lost the most locations were Burger King (392), Sonic (134) and Checkers & Rally's (63). The fastest-growing franchises ranking covers every industry.

Who runs a burger franchise

Of the burger brands whose agreements are clear, 45 let a trained manager run the business day to day and 17 require the owner to. Initial training typically runs 158 hours, against 71 across all brands. The typical brand loses 1.3% of its franchised locations a year to closures, terminations and non-renewals. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 30 of the 63 brands, so SBA-backed loans are available for them.

Best burger franchises to own

These burger brands pass all five tests on the best franchises to own ranking: they grew, lost no more owners than is typical, publish earnings figures, are on the SBA directory and had 100 or more US locations three years ago.

Before you buy a burger franchise

Some of the largest chains own or lease the restaurant site themselves and charge the owner rent, often as a share of sales, on top of the royalty and marketing fee; add it in before comparing what an owner keeps. Ask whether the brand requires a remodel every few years and what the last one cost owners, and whether it plans to sell new restaurants near yours.

Burger chains have both steady growers and brands closing restaurants each year; see the growth table above, each brand’s page and the failure rates guide.