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McDonald's: what it takes to open
Cost item	Low	High	Range
Franchise feeFDD Item 5	$45,000	$45,000	$45,000
Liquid cash required	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000
Net worth required	Not disclosed¹		Not disclosed¹

Initial investment, all-in (FDD Item 7)	$1,470,500	$2,642,000	$1,470,500 to $2,642,000

¹ Not stated in the brand's disclosure data we hold. Missing figures are never estimated.

Source: franchise disclosure filingsTickmark legend: how we verify

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Every figure is sourced; missing ones are marked “Not disclosed” — never estimated or filled in.

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5,700+

franchise brands profiled

4,700+

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All 12 industries compared

Auto & Travel

Brands profiled: 192
Median minimum investment: $177,500

Education & Arts

Brands profiled: 48
Median minimum investment: $100,538

Entertainment & Recreation

Brands profiled: 16
Median minimum investment: $1,498,565

Event Services

Brands profiled: 13
Median minimum investment: $35,563

Food & Beverage

Brands profiled: 1,822
Median minimum investment: $282,500

Health & Fitness

Brands profiled: 895
Median minimum investment: $184,861

Home Services

Brands profiled: 245
Median minimum investment: $116,350

Lodging & Leisure

Brands profiled: 221
Median minimum investment: $6,130,275

Pet Services

Brands profiled: 25
Median minimum investment: $302,583

Professional Services

Brands profiled: 1,750
Median minimum investment: $84,700

Retail

Brands profiled: 256
Median minimum investment: $165,000

Sports & Recreation

Brands profiled: 31
Median minimum investment: $242,259

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Sourced, not guessed

Figures come straight from franchise disclosure filings — the documents brands are legally required to publish. 4,700+ brands have comparable cost data.

Honest gaps

Where a brand doesn’t disclose a number, the cell says “Not disclosed” in red ink. We never estimate or fill in missing figures.

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5,700+ brands profiled. 4,700+ with cost data you can compare right now.

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