Buy a Franchise in the USA: Investment and Fees by Brand

Under the FTC Franchise Rule, a franchise has three elements: you get the right to operate a business identified with the franchisor's trademark; the franchisor exercises significant control over, or gives significant assistance with, how you operate; and you make a required payment to the franchisor or its affiliate. For every brand in this catalog, that means an initial franchise fee and a continuing royalty. Most charge the royalty as a percentage of revenue. Kumon instead charges a monthly royalty for each enrolled student in each subject, at different rates for different students, and Anytime Fitness, under its 2026 FDD, charges a flat monthly fee per center, adjusted each January for inflation (CPI).

It depends on the brand, the format, and the space it needs. The lowest starting investment in the catalog is a Kumon Center, from $101,630, in a leased retail space of at least 1,000 square feet; that total already counts four payments Kumon makes for a new Center, such as the exterior sign and the furniture and fixtures. A Dunkin' Shopping Center/Storefront restaurant starts from $443,000, and a Wendy's restaurant from $1,580,457 if you pay cash for all expenditures; neither total includes real property. Each starting figure comes from the estimated initial investment table in Item 7 of the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), which must also include an "Additional funds" line for the initial period of operations, so check on each listing what the figure includes and leaves out. The budget pages group listings by starting investment.

Start with the three figures every listing shows: the starting investment, the initial franchise fee, and the royalty fee. Then check what each royalty is charged on — for example, Gross Sales, Net Sales, or Adjusted Gross Revenue, or a monthly amount per student or per center — because the same rate costs different money on different bases. Once you have a brand's FDD, compare the rest of its fees too: Item 6, Other Fees, sets out in a table all other fees you must pay to the franchisor or its affiliates, such as advertising, additional training, transfer, or renewal fees, with the amount and due date of each.

In Item 19 of the brand's FDD. Under the FTC Franchise Rule, a franchisor that gives prospective franchisees a financial performance representation — a figure or range for sales, income, or profit — must have a reasonable basis and written substantiation for it and must include it in Item 19. Item 19 is optional: a franchisor that makes no such representations says so there instead. In either case, the wording the rule requires in Item 19 says that financial performance information different from Item 19 may be given only if the franchisor provides the actual records of an existing outlet you are considering buying, or supplements Item 19 — for example, with information about possible performance at a particular location or under particular circumstances. Franch Monsters does not make its own revenue or earnings estimates; each listing says what Item 19 of the brand's FDD covers or, as with Kumon, that the franchisor makes no such representations. Use the catalog to compare costs and the FDD for any performance data the franchisor chooses to disclose.

Set a budget first and test it against the full Item 7 total, not the franchise fee alone. The fee is only part of that total, and its share varies: at Taco Bell it is $25,000 of an investment from $934,750 for a new In-Line or End-Cap, and at Mathnasium $49,000 of an investment from $127,316 for a first Center. Next, read the requirements on each listing — for example, space, training, and, for some brands, minimum liquid assets. Then contact the franchisors that fit your budget and ask each for its FDD.

Read the Franchise Disclosure Document. In most franchise sales, the FTC Franchise Rule requires the franchisor to give it to you at least 14 calendar days before you sign a binding agreement with, or make any payment to, the franchisor or its affiliate. Item 20 lists current franchisees with the address and phone number of each outlet. The list may cover only your state; if your state has fewer than 100 franchised outlets, it adds outlets in neighboring states and then the next closest states until at least 100 are listed. Item 20 also gives contact information for franchisees who left the system in the last fiscal year — call several from both lists. Item 3 discloses litigation. Some states, including California, New York, Minnesota, and Washington, also require franchisors to register their offering before offering or selling franchises there, unless an exemption applies. Every listing in the catalog links to the franchisor's official website and gives a phone number or email, so you can check the details with the franchisor directly.

It depends on the brand. On its Becoming a Franchisee page, Wendy's says it is looking for "experienced restaurant operators," and two of its franchising pages list different capital minimums: at least $5,000,000 in net worth and $2,000,000 in liquidity on its Becoming a Franchisee page, and at least $1,000,000 in net worth and $500,000 in liquid assets on its FAQs page. The "Franchise with Dunkin'" page of Dunkin's franchising site lists at least $250,000 in liquid assets and $500,000 in net worth. Neither brand's FDD states these capital amounts. The requirements on other listings, among them Kumon, Club Pilates, and Anytime Fitness, do not include business experience, but they set other conditions. Kumon's Franchise Ownership FAQs page asks for a bachelor's degree, and you must complete Kumon's Instructor Development Program. At Club Pilates, you or your Operating Principal must complete the Initial Training Program, and at least one person who meets its Instructor Eligibility Criteria, including at least 450 hours of Pilates instruction, must complete the Instructor Bridge Training Program before opening; this can be you or your Operating Principal. At Anytime Fitness, the Principal Operator, and a Principal Owner too if the Principal Operator is not one, must complete mandatory initial training before the center opens. Check the requirements on each listing, and ask the franchisor directly whether it accepts first-time business owners.