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McDonald'sFranchise Cost in the US 2026

McDonald's franchise cost in the US (2026): $1.5M–$2.8M investment · $45K franchise fee · 5% royalty — verified from primary sources · data as of Sept 2026

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Operating Locations

Market position · dine-in QSR cohort

McDonald's operates one of this cohort's broad networks, with customer response in the softer band.

Mapped against 8 verified peers sharing its industry, franchise relationship and store format — network breadth across, observed customer response up. Qualitative bands, relative to this cohort.

FRAN•ticc SofterMiddleStrongerFocusedGrowing breadthBroadLoved specialist Established leaderCustomer response — review-weighted rating Network size — outlets in the US → bands are relative to this cohort, not absoluteApplebee'sDenny'sIHOPGolden CorralBuffalo Wild WingsCulver'sSonicWendy's
Brands sharing a band sit side by side — the gap between them is a tie, not a ranking.
McDonald'sIHOPDenny'sApplebee'sGolden CorralBuffalo Wild WingsCulver'sWendy'sSonic
McDonald's and peer brands by network-breadth band and customer-response band
BrandBreadthResponse
McDonald's Broad Softer
Sonic Growing breadth Softer
Applebee's Growing breadth Middle
Culver's 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 2026-09-01 · relative to this peer cohort
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Enquire with McDonald's — directly

FRANticc is independent — we're not the franchisor and we don't take a fee from McDonald's. This sends you straight to McDonald's's own franchise-development team, so you deal with them directly from the start.

Enquire with McDonald's directly

Opens McDonald's's official franchise enquiry page. FRANticc doesn't collect or forward your details — you deal with the brand directly.

Prefer email? Write to the franchise team at [email protected].

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Frequently asked · McDonald's
What does a McDonald's franchise cost in the US?
Setup and interiors for a McDonald's franchise for the Quick Service Restaurant format run $1.5M–$2.8M. On top of that you should budget a $45K franchise fee.
What is the total upfront commitment for a McDonald's franchise?
Adding setup, franchise fee, working capital and deposit, the total upfront commitment starts around $1.5M. The franchise fee alone is about 3% of that. These are the disclosed upfront figures only — they exclude ongoing royalty and running costs.
What royalty does McDonald's charge?
McDonald's charges a 5% royalty. A separate 4% marketing fund contribution also applies.
How many McDonald's outlets are there in the US?
McDonald's operates 13,062 outlets in the US, and has been trading since 1955.
Who is eligible for a McDonald's franchise?
You will need capital of at least $1.5M, readiness for a hands-on, owner-operator role. Territory: Non-exclusive; no protected territory; franchisor may develop competing locations; customer trading patterns subject to change.
How long is the McDonald's franchise agreement?
Agreement terms: No renewal right · New Term Policy discretionary, not contract right.
How does a McDonald's franchisee earn?
A McDonald's franchisee earns from customer sales at their own outlet through the Quick Service 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.
Is the McDonald's franchise offer genuine?
McDonald's franchise programme is verified against a primary source. FRANticc links the source rather than relaying agent claims — https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/us-franchising.html. Always confirm terms directly with the franchisor before paying any fee.
How current is McDonald's franchise disclosure?
These figures come from McDonald's Franchise Disclosure Document for fiscal year 2025, filed with state regulators.
Is a McDonald's franchise SBA-eligible?
McDonald's is not listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, so SBA-backed financing may not be available. Confirm with your lender.
How many McDonald's units opened and closed recently?
McDonald's FDD Item 20 for fiscal 2025 reports 221 openings and 0 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, McDonald's requires a minimum investment of $1.5M under a Quick Service Restaurant model. McDonald's operates 13062 outlets across the US, established in 1955. 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.

McDonald's

McDonald'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.

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