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Franchise financial data, straight from the FDD
Initial investment ranges, franchise fees, royalty rates, unit counts and Item 19 revenue for 223 franchise brands across 15 sectors - standardized from publicly available Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD year 2024).
- 223
- Franchise brands
- 15
- Industry sectors
- 110
- Item 19 disclosures
- 647K
- Total locations
The franchise picture
Across 223 brands, the typical franchise needs about $194K to open and charges a 6% royalty, but entry costs span from $2,095 to over $25M depending on the model.
- $2,095
- Lowest entry cost (Cruise Planners)
- $194K
- Median initial investment
- 6%
- Median royalty rate
- 110
- Brands disclosing Item 19 revenue
Every figure is derived live from publicly filed FDDs (Item 5, 6 and 7). No estimates.
The franchise landscape by sector
Where the 223 tracked brands cluster, and what it costs to enter each sector. Food & Beverage is the most crowded; service sectors offer the lowest entry cost.
Franchise brands by sector
Brands tracked in each of the 15 FDD sectors (top 10 shown)
- Food & Beverage
Food & Beverage
69 brands
- Retail
Retail
31 brands
- Home Services
Home Services
31 brands
- Education 16
Education
16 brands
- Health & Fitness 15
Health & Fitness
15 brands
- Automotive 11
Automotive
11 brands
- Business Services 10
Business Services
10 brands
- Senior Care 9
Senior Care
9 brands
- Real Estate 8
Real Estate
8 brands
- Travel & Hospitality 7
Travel & Hospitality
7 brands
What this shows Food & Beverage leads with 69 brands, roughly 31% of every tracked franchise.
Initial investment range by sector
Low–high total initial investment (FDD Item 7), averaged across each sector.
PlainFranchise helps prospective franchise buyers make informed investment decisions using publicly available data from Franchise Disclosure Documents. Every franchise brand in our database includes investment ranges, royalty rates, advertising fund contributions, unit counts, and, where disclosed, Item 19 financial performance data.
Franchise investing is one of the most significant financial decisions you can make, yet critical FDD data is scattered across state filings and paywalled databases. We aggregate and standardize this data so you can compare brands side by side, filter by investment level, and evaluate sector-level trends, all for free.
Whether you are evaluating your first franchise purchase or comparing expansion opportunities across sectors, our research guides can help you navigate the due diligence process. Learn about every fee in a franchise agreement, understand how to read an FDD, or explore multi-unit ownership strategies for scaling beyond your first location.
Our data covers 223 franchise brands across 15 industry sectors, with 110 brands disclosing Item 19 revenue data. All information is sourced from publicly filed Franchise Disclosure Documents and updated as new filings become available.
According to Franchise Disclosure Documents published under the FTC's Franchise Rule (FDD year 2024), the 223 brands tracked here span initial investments from $2,095 to over $25,000,000, with a median total initial investment near $194,000 and a typical 6% royalty. See our methodology for how every figure is compiled and verified, or inspect the current data statistics and citation reference.
Browse by Sector
View all →Featured Franchises
Item 19 revenue disclosed, largest networks
McDonald's
McDonald's Corp
$45K
4.0%
40,275
Subway
Doctor's Associates
$15K
8.0%
36,969
KFC
Yum! Brands
$45K
5.0%
26,934
Kumon
Kumon North America
$1K
5.1%
26,000
Domino's
Domino's Pizza Inc
$10K
5.5%
19,762
Burger King
Restaurant Brands Intl
$50K
4.5%
18,765
Pizza Hut
Yum! Brands
$25K
6.0%
18,381
Keller Williams Realty
Keller Williams Realty Intl
11,000
Browse by Investment Level
Find franchises that match your budget
Under $50K
24 brands
Avg revenue: $289K
Top revenue brand: 7-Eleven
$50K–$100K
39 brands
Avg revenue: $532K
Top revenue brand: Right at Home
$100K–$250K
62 brands
Avg revenue: $743K
Top revenue brand: Two Men and a Truck
$250K–$500K
37 brands
Avg revenue: $1.2M
Top revenue brand: Chick-fil-A
$500K–$1M
22 brands
Avg revenue: $1.6M
Top revenue brand: Ace Hardware
Over $1M
34 brands
Avg revenue: $2.5M
Top revenue brand: Benihana
Research
Original analysis built entirely from our FDD database, every statistic is derived from the 223 brands tracked here. See all research →
Top franchises by total unit count
The largest networks by total outlets, 7-Eleven (83,000), McDonald's (40,275) and Subway lead, drawn from 223 brands' FDD Item 20 counts.
ResearchState franchise registration laws
How the 15 registration states (and the rest under the federal FTC Rule) shape where and how franchises sell, across all 51 jurisdictions.
ResearchFranchise sectors by brand count
Where the brands cluster: Food & Beverage (69) and Retail (31) dominate the 15 sectors, with median investment and royalty by sector.
What to do with this
How to use PlainFranchise's FDD data before you shortlist a franchise.
- Investment budget is the first filter most buyers apply, browse the 223 tracked brands by initial-investment tier before you look at any single franchise. Browse by investment tier
- Only 110 of 223 brands disclose Item 19 revenue figures, check whether a brand you're considering is one of them before assuming average earnings. How fees & Item 19 work
- Food & Beverage is the largest sector by brand count, compare a candidate franchise against its own sector peers, not the whole database, since costs vary widely by industry. Browse by sector
This is a public-data reference, not investment advice. Review each brand's full FDD and consult a franchise attorney or accountant before signing.
About this data
How PlainFranchise works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainFranchise is a plain-language reference for franchise financial data. We standardize investment ranges, franchise fees, royalty rates, unit counts, and Item 19 financial performance representations directly from franchisors' own Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), the disclosure the FTC Franchise Rule requires before any franchise sale, with every figure traceable to the source filing.
Editorial process
- Source. Collect current FDD filings from state registrar archives (California, New York, Minnesota, and other registration states) where FDDs are public record, plus the FTC Franchise Rule disclosure requirements.
- Verify. Extract and standardize the Item 5-7 fee/investment figures and Item 19 financial performance data exactly as disclosed, no subjective ratings or proprietary scoring formulas applied.
- Publish. Compile per-brand profiles tagged to their FDD filing year, so readers can check any figure against the original disclosure document.
Editorial independence & corrections
The PlainFranchise editorial team is independent and accepts no payment or sponsorship from any franchisor. PlainFranchise does not independently verify FDD data, all figures are as disclosed by franchisors under FTC and state regulatory requirements. Found an error or a stale figure? File a correction via the contact page. See our methodology for full source attribution.
Frequently asked
What data does PlainFranchise provide?
PlainFranchise provides financial data from publicly available Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), including initial investment ranges, franchise fees, royalty rates, advertising fund rates, unit counts, net growth rates, and Item 19 financial performance representations where disclosed.
What is an FDD and why does it matter?
A Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a legal document that franchisors are required by the FTC to provide to prospective franchisees before any sale. It contains 23 items covering all aspects of the franchise relationship, including financial data. The FDD is your primary due diligence resource when evaluating any franchise opportunity.
What is Item 19 and why isn't it available for every franchise?
Item 19 is the financial performance representation section of the FDD. Franchisors are NOT required to disclose revenue or earnings data, many choose not to, either because their performance varies widely or for competitive reasons. When Item 19 is disclosed, it's typically average or median gross revenue (not profit) from franchise locations.
Is this financial advice?
No. PlainFranchise is an informational resource presenting publicly available FDD data. Nothing here constitutes financial, legal, or investment advice. Franchise investments involve significant risk. Always consult a franchise attorney, accountant, and speak to existing franchisees before making any investment decisions.
| Publisher | PlainFranchise |
| Sources | Public state franchise disclosure registries and FDD filings |