Franchise disclosure benchmarks
Know the numbers behind a franchise before you sign.
We turn Franchise Disclosure Documents into side-by-side comparisons: fees, cost to open, earnings claims and closures, with page references to the filing. No sales calls, no brand sponsorships.
- Jersey Mike's$436K – $1.16M
- McDonald's$1.47M – $2.81M
Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate. We show it next to what else the filing discloses, so you can see the whole picture.
01
Every fee in one place
Initial fee, royalty, ad fund and technology fees, read from Items 5 and 6 and laid out in one row per brand.
02
The franchisor's estimate, line by line
The full Item 7 range with each cost category broken out, so nothing about the bank conversation is a surprise.
03
The reality check
What the franchisor says about earnings (Item 19, when they make a claim at all) and how many outlets opened, closed, transferred or were terminated (Item 20). These are the numbers sales presentations tend to skip.
Preview
A taste of the benchmark data
Four brands from their 2026 FDDs. Full line-by-line detail, Item 19 and Item 20 summaries, and category comparisons are in the paid reports.
| Brand | Initial fee ITEM 5 | Royalty ITEM 6 | Ad fund ITEM 6 | Cost to open ITEM 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald's Quick-service food | $45,000 | 5% of sales (4% in some cases) | At least 4% of sales | $1,472,000 – $2,807,000 |
| Jersey Mike's Quick-service food | $20,000 plus a $10,000 development fee | 6.5% of sales | 5% of sales (1% + 4%) | $436,176 – $1,162,228 |
Figures as stated in each brand's 2026 FDD; checked October 31, 2026. Sources: McDonald's: 2026 FDD, effective Apr 15, 2026 (Wisconsin DFI filing 640986); Jersey Mike's: 2026 FDD, issued Apr 10, 2026; Anytime Fitness: 2026 FDD, issued Mar 31, 2026, amended Sep 14, 2026; Great Clips: 2026 FDD, issued Mar 30, 2026. Fees change. Always read the current filing.
Coverage
Growing every filing season
4 brands live today. Adding 6 more this quarter. Tell us which brand you're researching and we'll prioritize it.
For buyers
Shortlisting franchises?
Compare your shortlist on the numbers that matter, then walk into discovery day with questions that come straight from the filing. Start with a single brand report for $49, or get a 30-day Shortlist Pass for the whole decision.
See buyer options →For advisors
Consultants, brokers and franchise attorneys
Benchmark any brand for a client in minutes. Export clean tables and client-ready PDFs, and get an alert when a brand's fees change in a new filing.
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We don't take sponsorships from franchisors, and we don't run sales calls. Our only customers are the people reading the numbers.
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