Thai Express franchise
A Thai Express franchisee operates a quick-service restaurant serving Thai-style food and drinks. At the end of 2025 there were 5 Thai Express locations in the US, 4 franchised and 1 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $532K–$833K
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Royalty
- 6%
- Locations, 2025
- 5−4 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From MTY FRANCHISING USA, INC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Thai Express franchise costs
Opening one food court restaurant costs an estimated $532,400 to $832,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: MTY FRANCHISING USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 44
Thai Express franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: MTY FRANCHISING USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 30
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, generally collected weekly. Breaching royalties may rise to 18% for at least 14 days during a default. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: MTY FRANCHISING USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 31
Sales and earnings
No figures Thai Express does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: MTY FRANCHISING USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 80
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 (−1) | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 (−2) | 1 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 (−1) | 1 | 1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
Source: MTY FRANCHISING USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 81
How Thai Express compares
Of the 59 fast food franchises on this site, Thai Express is the 29th cheapest to open and the 58th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Thai Express | Typical fast food |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $532K | $548K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5.5% |
| Closed or left per year | 20.4% | 2.7% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | −50% | +5.2% |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 46 of 59 |
Typical is the median across the 59 brands in fast food franchises.
