Side-by-side franchise comparison using publicly filed Franchise Disclosure Documents. Data as of June 2026.
McDonald's requires 4× more capital ($1.31M minimum) but has a lower royalty burden (8% total vs 15%). Chick-fil-A operators earn more per location ($8.4M AUV vs $3.7M) but pay a 15% royalty and face extreme approval selectivity. If you can secure Chick-fil-A approval, the economics are substantially better — but McDonald's offers a lower-risk entry point with proven scalability across 40,000+ locations. Neither has a published Item 19 for McDonald's; Chick-fil-A's AUV is estimated from available data.
| Metric | McDonald's | Chick-fil-A |
|---|---|---|
| Investment Range | $1.31M – $2.31M | $343K – $2.43M |
| Minimum Liquid Capital | $500K | $250K |
| Franchise Fee | $45K | $10K (lower entry) |
| Royalty Rate | 4.0% | 15.0% |
| Ad Fund Rate | 4.0% | 0.0% (0%) |
| Total Fee Burden | 8.0% | 15.0% |
| Avg Unit Revenue (AUV) | $3.7M | $8.4M (2.3× more) |
| Est. Annual Profit (15%) | $555K | $1.3M |
| Est. Payback Period | ~39 months | ~13 months |
| 5-Year Projected Return | +53% | +354% |
| System Size (Units) | 40,031 | 3,059 |
| 1-Year Growth Rate | 1.2% | 10.2% |
| Failure Rate | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Training Duration | 7 weeks | 4 weeks (faster) |
| Home-Based Option | No | No |
| Territory Exclusive | Varies | Varies |
Investment breakdown, royalty drag analysis, payback timeline, and 5-year projected return in a formatted PDF delivered to your inbox. All data from publicly filed FDDs.
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