Wild Birds Unlimited franchise
A specialty store selling bird food, feeders and backyard birding supplies. At the end of 2025 there were 345 Wild Birds Unlimited locations in the US, 344 franchised and 1 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $232K–$376K
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Royalty
- 4% of gross sales
- Locations, 2025
- 345+11 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED INC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise costs
Opening First store costs an estimated $231,635 to $376,392. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED INC, 2026 filing, page 21
Wild Birds Unlimited franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED INC, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4% of store gross sales. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED INC, 2026 filing, page 14
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Wild Birds Unlimited publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED INC, 2026 filing, page 52
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 340 (+7) | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | 340 (0) | 1 | 7 |
| 2025 | 344 (+4) | 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.
Wild Birds Unlimited passes all five tests on our list of the best franchises to own and ranks number 24.
Source: WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED INC, 2026 filing, page 65
How Wild Birds Unlimited compares
Of the 22 pet franchises on this site, Wild Birds Unlimited is the 11th cheapest to open and the 2nd largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Wild Birds Unlimited | Typical pet |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $232K | $259K |
| Royalty | 4% | 7% |
| Closed or left per year | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +3.3% | +76.7% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 21 of 22 |
Typical is the median across the 22 brands in pet franchises.
