Compare franchises
Line up to five brands by cost, fees, earnings and location history. Keep a shortlist as you browse, then print the comparison with your notes and questions for each franchisor.
Your shortlist
Save brands from their pages, the finder or the table below, and they’ll wait here in this browser.
- Five Guys
- Chick-fil-A
- McDonald's
Franchise research sheet
| Figure | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost and fees | |||
| Total investment | $927,850 to $1,375,750 | $317,521 to $3,463,155Lowest | $1,470,500 to $2,642,000 |
| Franchise fee | $25,000 | $10,000 | $45,000 |
| Royalty | 6% | 15% + 50% of profit | 4–5% |
| Brand fund | 2% | Between 0% and 3.25% of gross receipts as set by Chick-fil-A, which has charged 0% since 1989. | 4% |
| Technology fee | – | $9,500 to $20,000 (annually), subject to change | $632 annual fee |
| Training fee | $1,500 per training | – | – |
| Local advertising | Not less than 2% of Gross Sales | – | – |
| Transfer fee | – | – | – |
| Renewal fee | – | – | – |
| Contract length | 10 years | – | 20 years |
| SBA Franchise Directory | Listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Performance | |||
| Shares earnings figures | No | Yes | Yes |
| Yearly sales | $1M–$1.9M estimate | $9.16M average, 2025 (2,302 locations) | $3.96M average, 2023 (11,972 locations) |
| Profit as filed | – | – | – |
| Company | |||
| Who runs it | Owner or a trained manager | Owner must run it | Owner must run it |
| Initial training | 16 hours in class and 160 on the job | 91 hours in class and 98 on the job | 218.5 hours in class and 327.75 on the job |
| Parent company | – | – | – |
| Franchisor's own results | – | $10.3B revenue, $1.05B net income (2025) | $10.6B revenue, $3.39B net income (2023) |
| Lawsuits disclosed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bankruptcy disclosed | None | None | None |
| Locations | |||
| Franchised locations | 970 | 2,795 | 12,772Most |
| Company-owned locations | 613 | 68 | 685 |
| States with locations | 51 (2025) | 49 (2025) | 52 (2023) |
| Change in franchised, 3 years | +71 | +464Most | −250 |
| Change in all locations, 5 years | +131 (2021–2025) | – | – |
| Opened, 3 years | 108 | 776 | 313 |
| Closed or left, 3 years | 37 | 307 | 563 |
| Yearly exits | 1.3% a year | 0.3% a year | 1.2% a year |
| Figures from | 2026 | 2026 | 2024 |
Your notes and questions
Notes stay in this browser and print with the table.
Five Guys
Questions to ask
- What do your locations sell in a year, and what is left for the owner after costs?
- Why did the 37 locations that closed or left in the last three years go?
- What net worth and cash do you require before you approve an owner?
- Which territory would I get, and can you or another owner open nearby?
- How many hours a week do your owners actually work in the business?
- What are the lawsuits in your filing about, and are any with franchisees?
- Can I speak with owners who opened in the last two years, and with some who left?
Notes
Chick-fil-A
Questions to ask
- Which locations make up the sales figure you publish, and how do the newest ones compare?
- Why did the 307 locations that closed or left in the last three years go?
- What net worth and cash do you require before you approve an owner?
- Which territory would I get, and can you or another owner open nearby?
- How many hours a week do your owners actually work in the business?
- What are the lawsuits in your filing about, and are any with franchisees?
- Can I speak with owners who opened in the last two years, and with some who left?
Notes
McDonald's
Questions to ask
- Which locations make up the sales figure you publish, and how do the newest ones compare?
- Why did the 563 locations that closed or left in the last three years go?
- What net worth and cash do you require before you approve an owner?
- Which territory would I get, and can you or another owner open nearby?
- How many hours a week do your owners actually work in the business?
- What are the lawsuits in your filing about, and are any with franchisees?
- Can I speak with owners who opened in the last two years, and with some who left?
Notes
Questions
What should I compare between franchises?
Start with the total investment and the fees you pay every month (royalty plus marketing fund), then at locations opened and closed: a brand that closes many locations for its size deserves questions. Earnings figures, where a brand shares them, show what existing locations sell.
Why do the location counts differ from the brand's website?
We count US locations at the end of the franchisor's last fiscal year, as filed with regulators. Websites often count international locations, locations in development or a later date.
Where is my shortlist kept?
In this browser only, with your notes. There's no account, so it won't follow you to another device, and clearing your browser's site data empties it. To share a comparison, copy the link instead: it carries the brands you're comparing.