7-Eleven

7-Eleven, a 7-Eleven Inc franchise, has been franchising since 1964 — 37 years after the concept was founded in 1927 , currently with 83,000 total locations (54,000 franchised, 29,000 company-owned — a 65% franchise-to-corporate ratio that signals the operator's reliance on independent owners) in the retail sector, headquartered in TX. According to the 2024 FDD, the total initial investment ranges from $37K to $1.6M — a 4296% spread between the low and high end that reflects how site size, market, and buildout scope change the capital requirement. This figure includes the franchise fee, equipment, leasehold improvements, and initial working capital through the ramp-up period.

Ongoing royalty and advertising-fund rates for this brand are not captured in the summary dataset — review Items 6 and 7 of the FDD for the authoritative schedule. Notably, 7-Eleven does not disclose financial performance (Item 19) in its FDD. That is common (Item 19 is optional under the FTC Franchise Rule) but it puts the burden on prospective buyers to survey existing franchisees (Item 20 contact list), model unit economics from public comparables, and demand validated profit-and-loss data before signing.

Network momentum is currently positive: 7-Eleven added units at a 0.4% net rate year-over-year (1500 openings, 1200 closures). Sustained positive growth is a signal that the unit-economics are working well enough to attract new operators, though late-stage growth can also reflect aggressive sales push rather than operational health. Before committing capital, triangulate this summary against the full FDD, a franchise attorney's review, and direct conversations with five or more current and former franchisees from Item 20.