- Quick-service restaurants tend to enjoy steady sales, even in times of uncertainty, and some fast food brands offer training for new franchise owners.
- To see which opportunities offer the most revenue per location, Business Insider reviewed the top-earning brands and highlighted those that partner with franchisees.
- Continue reading to see the 21 best quick-service brands, along with their average annual revenue per restaurant, number of franchise locations, primary geography, initial investment, and ongoing fees.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Source: Revenue and location figures from QSR magazine; Other data sources noted in context.
21. Sonic
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.32 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 3,329
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $1.2 million to $3.5 million
Ongoing Fees: 2.5%-5% royalty, 3% advertising
Sources: Entrepreneur; Company Website
20. Five Guys
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.36 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 872
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $306,200 to $641,250
Ongoing Fees: 6% royalty, 3.5% advertising
Sources: Franchise Direct
19. Burger King
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.4 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 7,294
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $333,100 to $3.4 million
Ongoing Fees: 4.5% royalty, 4% advertising
Sources: Company Website
18. Taco Bell
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.5 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 6,622
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $525,525 to $3 million
Ongoing Fees: 5.5% royalty, 4.25% advertising
Sources: Entrepreneur
17. Freddy's
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.53 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 338
Geography: 31 states across the US
Initial Investment: $640,552 to $2 million
Ongoing Fees: 4.5% royalty
Sources: Entrepreneur; Company Website
16. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.54 million
No. of Locations: 2,458
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $383,500 to $2.6 million
Ongoing Fees: 5% royalty, 4% advertising
Sources: Franchise Direct; Company Website
15. Del Taco
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.55 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 296
Geography: National, mostly West
Initial Investment: $859,700 to $2.1 million
Ongoing Fees: 5% royalty, 4% advertising
Sources: Entrepreneur; Company Website
14. Jack in the Box
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.57 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 2,106
Geography: National, mostly West
Initial Investment: $1.5 million to $3.3 million
Ongoing Fees: 5% royalty, 5% advertising
Sources: Entrepreneur; Company Website
13. McAlister's Deli
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.63 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 438
Geography: 29 states across the US
Initial Investment: $772,000 - $2.1 million
Ongoing Fees: 5% royalty, 1% advertising
Sources: Entrepreneur; Company Website
12. Wendy's
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.66 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 5,495
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $2 million to $3.5 million
Ongoing Fees: 4% royalty, 4% advertising
Sources: Franchise Direct; Company Website
11. Steak 'n Shake
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.67 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 183
Geography: National, mostly in Midwest and Southeast
Initial Investment: $10,000 to operate one of its 400 existing corporate-operated locations
Ongoing Fees: 50% of profits
Source: Company Website
10. Bojangles
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.72 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 434
Geography: Southeast
Initial Investment: $1.6 million to $2.4 million
Ongoing Fees: 4% royalty, 1% advertising
Source: Entrepreneur
9. El Pollo Loco
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.87 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 277
Geography: Southwest
Initial Investment: $770,000 to $2.1 million
Ongoing Fees: 4% royalty, marketing 4%-5%
Sources: QSR; Company Website
8. The Habit Grill
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $1.95 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 20
Geography: West coast
Initial Investment: $1.2 million to $1.4 million
Ongoing Fees: 5% royalty
Source: Franchise Grade
7. Zaxby's
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $2 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 755
Geography: Southeast
Initial Investment: $284,000 to $664,300
Ongoing Fees: 6% royalty, plus ad fees of 2.5% to 5%
Source: Entrepreneur
6. Culver's
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $2.44 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 727
Geography: 24 states, mostly in Midwest
Initial Investment: $2 million to $4.7 million
Ongoing Fees: 4% royalty fee, plus 2.5% advertising fee
Source: Entrepreneur
5. Jason's Deli
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $2.48 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 110
Geography: 28 states, largely concentrated in the Southeast
Initial Investment: $608,000 to $905,000
Ongoing Fees: 4% royalty, 2% advertising
Sources: FDD Exchange; Franchise Help
4. Panera Bread
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $2.75 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 1,202
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $1 million to $1.6 million
Ongoing Fees: Panera does not sell single-unit locations, instead it licenses marketing regions to franchisees who intend to open multiple stores.
Source: Franchise Help
3. McDonald's
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $2.91 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 13,154
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $1.2 to $2.2 million
Ongoing Fees: 4% royalty fee, plus advertising fees starting at 4%
Source: Business Insider
2. Whataburger
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $3.1 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 703
Geography: Southeast and Southwest
Initial Investment: $1.2 million
Ongoing Fees: Must commit to opening 5 locations in target markets (Arizona, Alabama, and Florida).
Source: Company Website
1. Chick-fil-A
Avg. annual revenue per restaurant: $4.5 million
No. of Franchise Locations: 2,500
Geography: National
Initial Investment: $10,000
Ongoing Fees: Property leasing fees of 15% of sales, plus 50% of pretax profit.
Source: Company Website; BusinessInsider