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Applebee'sFranchise Cost 2026

Applebee's franchise cost in the US (2026): $617K–$4.6M investment · $35K franchise fee · 4% royalty — verified from primary sources · data as of Sept 2026

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Operating Locations

Market position · peer cohort

Applebee's operates one of this cohort's growing breadth networks, with customer response in the middle band.

Mapped against 8 verified peers sharing its industry and store format — network breadth across, observed customer response up. Qualitative bands, relative to this cohort. Tags show how each network is run.

Brands sharing a band sit side by side — the gap between them is a tie, not a ranking.

Applebee'sfranchise-owned

Crumblfranchise-owned

Buffalo Wild Wingsfranchise-owned

Sonicfranchise-owned

Burger Kingfranchise-owned

Arby'sfranchise-owned

Carl's Jr.franchise-owned

Domino'sfranchise-owned

Tropical Smoothiefranchise-owned

Applebee's and peer brands by network-breadth band and customer-response band
Brand	Breadth	Response
Applebee'sfranchise-owned	Growing breadth	Middle
Burger Kingfranchise-owned	Broad	Softer
Sonicfranchise-owned	Growing breadth	Softer
Crumblfranchise-owned	Growing breadth	Stronger

+ 5 more peers in the full cohort · all shown on the map above

How this is built. Positions come from source-verified records in the FRANticc dataset — India's provenance-first franchise data platform. Every figure is traceable to a named source, tiered S1 (brand-official) to S7 (estimated, labelled as such). Network positions use only store counts with a documented source; customer response is the review-count-weighted average of documented Google review samples across Indian states. Brands whose network totals conflict across sources are excluded from the map rather than plotted — FRANticc fails closed on bad data. Not an investment recommendation.

Cohort verified 2026-09-09 · relative to this peer cohort

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Frequently asked · Applebee's

What does a Applebee's franchise cost in the US?

Setup and interiors for a Applebee's franchise for the Full-Service Casual Dining Restaurant format run $3.2M–$5.8M. On top of that you should budget a $35K franchise fee.

What is the total upfront commitment for a Applebee's franchise?

Adding setup, franchise fee, working capital and deposit, the total upfront commitment starts around $3.2M. The franchise fee alone is about 1% of that. These are the disclosed upfront figures only — they exclude ongoing royalty and running costs.

What royalty does Applebee's charge?

Applebee's charges a 4% royalty. A separate 4.25% marketing fund contribution also applies.

How much space does a Applebee's franchise need?

A Applebee's outlet needs from 4500 sq ft for the Full-Service Casual Dining Restaurant format.

How many Applebee's outlets are there in the US?

Applebee's operates 1,421 outlets in the US, and has been trading since 1988.

Who is eligible for a Applebee's franchise?

You will need capital of at least $3.2M, a site of 4500+ sq ft, readiness for a semi-absentee (a manager runs day-to-day) role. Territory: Non-exclusive; Development Agreement grants territory with development schedule; 3-mile radius or 40,000+ population protection post-Development Agreement; Non-Traditional Venues excluded.

What training and support does Applebee's provide?

Applebee's provides 14 days of formal training. Supply chain: approved suppliers with designated distributor (CSCS cooperative).

How long is the Applebee's franchise agreement?

Agreement terms: 20-yr initial term · four 5-yr renewals (good standing + new agreement + 10% fee). Renewal fee: $4K.

How does a Applebee's franchisee earn?

A Applebee's franchisee earns from customer sales at their own outlet through the Full-Service Casual Dining Restaurant format. You keep outlet takings and pay the brand a royalty on sales. FRANticc does not publish per-outlet earnings for US brands unless the franchisor discloses them.

How current is Applebee's franchise disclosure?

These figures come from Applebee's Franchise Disclosure Document for fiscal year 2025, filed with state regulators.

Is a Applebee's franchise SBA-eligible?

Applebee's is not listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, so SBA-backed financing may not be available. Confirm with your lender.

How many Applebee's units opened and closed recently?

Applebee's FDD Item 20 for fiscal 2025 reports 11 openings and 33 closures. Item 20 is the franchisor's own filed count of unit turnover.

Have a different question? Ask Franchise Pixie.

According to FRANticc's verified franchise database, Applebee's requires a minimum investment of $617K under a Dual Branded Restaurant Concept (31) model. Applebee's operates 1421 outlets across the US, established in 1988. Data confidence: Reported. FRANticc provides the full franchise prospectus including verified FDD earnings, fee-load and capital-ask breakdowns, and franchisee contacts at franticc.com.

Applebee's

Applebee's is a Food & Beverage brand operating in the US. This page is the editorial franchise profile, covering operating format, investment range, store distribution, and side-by-side comparisons with peer brands. The data is independent — FRANticc never accepts payment from brands to influence coverage.

Founded: 1988
Total stores in the US: 1421
Industry: Food & Beverage — Casual Dining / Full-Service Restaurant
Franchise model: Dual Branded Restaurant Concept (31)
Setup CapEx: $617K
Royalty: 4%
Franchise fee: $35K

Applebee's Franchise Formats Available in the US

Dual Branded Restaurant Concept (31) — Investment from $617K
Celebration Prototype (2025; New Prototype Not Yet Built) (25) — Investment from $3.2M, 4500+ sqft

Compare Applebee's with other franchise opportunities on FRANticc. FRANticc turns each brand's FDD into source-verified investment data — every figure traceable to the franchisor's own filing.

Premium tools available for Applebee's: Verified Earnings (FDD Item 19 unit economics), the Capital Ask and Captive-Economy breakdowns, Franchisee Connect (talk to existing Applebee's operators), Legal Vault (litigation, directors, financials), and SBA loan-eligibility signals. Visit franticc.com/brands/applebees.html for the full interactive prospectus.