McAlister's Deli franchise
A restaurant serving deli sandwiches, soups, salads and sweet tea. At the end of its 2025 fiscal year there were 572 McAlister's Deli locations in the US, 533 franchised and 39 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $910K–$1.82M
- Franchise fee
- $35,500
- Royalty
- 5% of net sales
- Locations, 2025
- 572+41 in 3 yrs
Compare with similar brands Estimate your costs
Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From MCALISTER'S FRANCHISOR SPV LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a McAlister's Deli franchise costs
Opening In-line restaurant costs an estimated $910,175 to $1,816,100. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: MCALISTER'S FRANCHISOR SPV LLC, 2026 filing, page 43
McAlister's Deli franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: MCALISTER'S FRANCHISOR SPV LLC, 2026 filing, page 27
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of net sales. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: MCALISTER'S FRANCHISOR SPV LLC, 2026 filing, page 29
Sales and earnings
Shares figures McAlister's Deli publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: MCALISTER'S FRANCHISOR SPV LLC, 2026 filing, page 83
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 506 (+14) | 33 | 14 |
| 2024 | 524 (+18) | 36 | 9 |
| 2025 | 533 (+9) | 39 | 16 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. The 2025 fiscal year ended December 28, 2025.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
McAlister's Deli passes all five tests on our list of the best franchises to own and ranks number 65.
Source: MCALISTER'S FRANCHISOR SPV LLC, 2026 filing, page 85
How McAlister's Deli compares
Of the 192 restaurant franchises on this site, McAlister's Deli is the 138th cheapest to open and the 40th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | McAlister's Deli | Typical restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $910K | $529K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 2.6% | 4.1% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +8.3% | +5.3% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 138 of 192 |
Typical is the median across the 192 brands in restaurant franchises.
