2026 FDD Issued Mar 26, 2026, amended Sep 2, 2026 Minnesota Commerce (CARDS)
Burger King Franchise Cost (2026)
Burger King’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) lists an initial franchise fee of $50,000 (Item 5). Item 7 prints an estimated total investment of $2,039,200 – $4,730,600, but the printed total and the listed expense lines do not reconcile, so a cleared cost range is not available. This record was published provisionally before independent verification was complete. Read the printed lines and the unresolved difference.
Read the source-review hold before using these figures.
- Total investment
- $2.04M – $4.73MPrinted Item 7 total; does not reconcile
- Franchise fee
- $50KItem 5 source and terms
- Royalty
- 4.5% of monthly Gross SalesItem 6 conditions and fee bases apply
- Brand fund
- 4.5% of monthly Gross SalesItem 6 conditions and fee bases apply
What stands out about Burger King
The traditional-facility investment table has an unresolved low-total mismatch, so its printed total cannot be treated as a reconciled budget. Item 7 separately lists a Real Property / Occupancy Charge, while the cover says totals exclude real estate and a footnote discusses buying land. That allocation also needs clarification before combining a restaurant estimate with a purchased site.
Required digital services mix a monthly charge with a percentage of eligible digital sales and an annual cap. Gift-card processing uses redeemed sales instead of the royalty's Gross Sales base. Item 11 also lists required reporting, network and point-of-sale services, with help-desk and Wi-Fi descriptions that may overlap other fee rows. A single annual sales figure cannot establish a complete, nonoverlapping fee bill.
The $1,692,549 sales average comes from eligible traditional franchisee-owned restaurants operating for the full reporting year. Temporary closures and new openings are excluded, and company-owned sales have a separate column. Item 19's introductory population counts disagree with later format-specific samples; the selected printed sample is retained with that source hold. None of these sales measures deducts operating costs or identifies owner income.
The Carrols acquisition in 2024 shifted restaurants from franchise ownership to company ownership. That transaction explains much of the reacquisition column without implying those restaurants shut down. Item 20's openings also include restaurants bought and resold by the franchisor. Its limited-license and relocation qualifications mean the summed exit categories cannot be read as a clean count of permanent closures.
What are the initial franchise fees and financial requirements for Burger King?
Item 5 lists an initial franchise fee of $50,000 for Burger King. Check the cited Item 5 for payment timing, discounts and format-specific terms.
Item 5 on PDF page 29 sets the standard twenty-year franchise and successor fee at $50,000. Shorter terms are prorated, subject to the stated $15,000 minimum; Item 7 Note 1 on page 54 describes a typical ten-year fee of $25,000. Unless otherwise indicated the initial fee is due in full before opening; the successor fee is due when the successor agreement is signed. Item 7's table instead labels the franchise-fee payment as due at execution, so timing needs confirmation. Fees are nonrefundable except where expressly stated. Item 5 also requires $250 for each individual applicant, even under entity ownership, and $5,000 for entity ownership; Item 6 describes the entity application charge as up to $5,000. Target-area deposits and development prepayments are credited toward franchise fees, not another full fee on top. The 2024 multi-unit program has an already-past agreement deadline and continuing opening/default conditions, not unrestricted new eligibility. Reclaim the Flame 2 and eligible Sizzle Jr. remodels use conditional additional-term charges. In limited circumstances, fees may be reduced or waived for taking over a financially distressed restaurant or reopening a recently closed restaurant. Other initial program charges appear in the source-labelled fee rows below.
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 5, PDF p. 29.
This record lists no minimum net worth or liquid-capital requirement for Burger King, because no sourced figure has been recorded. Ask the franchisor for its current financial qualifications in writing.
How much does it cost to open a Burger King franchise? (Item 7)
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 50.
The printed totals or listed expenses below do not reconcile. These are the amounts the FDD prints, not a source-cleared investment range. Read the source note before using any budget figure.
| Expense Category | Low ($) | High ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| New Franchisees Training Fee, Travel & Living Expenses | $7,500 | $25,000 |
| Real Property / Occupancy Charge | $300,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Civil & Architectural Drawings / Professional Fees | $50,000 | $125,000 |
| Zoning Expenses | $5,000 | $40,000 |
| Improvements / Construction | $1,200,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Landscaping | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| Equipment | $250,600 | $304,600 |
| Décor Package | $48,000 | $95,000 |
| Signage & Drive Thru | $150,000 | $230,000 |
| Pre-Opening Wages | $67,100 | $72,500 |
| Opening Inventory | $6,400 | $12,800 |
| Cash, Inventory Control and Order Taking System | $20,000 | $25,000 |
| Insurance | $14,000 | $25,000 |
| Working Capital / Additional Funds | $45,000 | $90,000 |
| Business Licenses, Utility Deposits, Lease Deposits and Payments | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| 2-Story Interior Playground | $0 | $245,000 |
| BK University / Support & Training Material | $600 | $700 |
| Printed Item 7 total (FDD printed amount, PDF p. 50) | $2,039,200 | $4,730,600 |
Other formats
| Format | Total investment |
|---|---|
| Non-Traditional Facility (Co-Brand) | $896,200 – $1,682,800 |
| Non-Traditional Facility (In-Line / End Cap) | $944,800 – $1,942,800 |
| Non-Traditional Facility (Mall Food Court) | $655,720 – $1,131,700 |
| Non-Traditional Facility (Indoor MRS) | $348,400 – $789,100 |
| Non-Traditional Facility (Big-Box) | $564,600 – $979,100 |
For comparison, the median high-end investment among 25 restaurants & food records without a source-review hold is $1,297,100.
PDF page 50 states a $300,000 low Real Property / Occupancy Charge and a $2,039,200 low total. The disclosed low line items sum to $2,249,200, a $210,000 difference. Both source figures are retained; the source discrepancy remains unresolved after provisional publication. The cover labels investment totals as excluding real estate, yet the table contains a Real Property / Occupancy Charge and Note 3 on page 55 separately describes buying unimproved land. The exact property allocation needs clarification; the printed total must not be called a complete purchased-site budget. The non-traditional totals on PDF pages 52-54 cover only the Burger King business, not a co-branded host operation. Training/travel estimates assume one trainee; the low assumes a Miami-based restaurant/trainee without travel or living costs. Additional participants and required courses can add costs. Pre-opening wages are a separate line; no blanket exclusion of all training payroll is asserted. Equipment includes sound/security. The POS line requires purchase and includes the Item 11 purchase estimate, not a second additive system purchase. Insurance may require advance payment of the full workers' compensation/property/casualty premium. Additional Funds assumes three startup months unless otherwise stated and excludes any Sales Impact Contribution. The two-story playground and approved outdoor seating are optional; zero playground low is the omission alternative. Required double drive-thru exceptions and remodel costs differ by format. Big-Box occupancy estimates cover three months of rent including CAM, not a property purchase. Item 7's $600-$700 University line differs from the $700 annual charge in Item 6; both are retained.
What ongoing royalties and fees does Burger King charge? (Item 6)
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 34.
Item 6 of Burger King’s 2026 FDD lists the charges below. Recurring charges and charges triggered by a transfer, renewal or other event have different conditions. Read each fee’s basis and notes before comparing rates.
How to read an Item 6 fee table.
| Fee Type | Amount / Rate | Payment Frequency | Notes & Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.5% of monthly Gross Sales | Every period | Standard rate; Item 6 notes describe reduced development-program rates. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Advertising | 4.5% of monthly Gross Sales | Every period | Item 6 Note 3 on PDF page 44 explicitly states a 4.5% current contribution as of January 1, 2025, subject to lower qualifying rates. Pages 45-46 require new franchisees to join Fuel the Flame: 4.5% through December 31, 2027, with conditional 2028 continuation or reversion to 4.0%. Later rates and legacy acquisition/remodel exceptions differ. Development reductions cannot be stacked. This is the stated standard rate, not a universal lifetime rate. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Rent (where property leased from franchisor) | Varies | When it applies | Conditional franchisor/affiliate lease. Note 4 on PDF pages 46-47 describes acquisition-cost and sales-linked rent, periodic escalation and different successor/Crown Your Career terms. Taxes, maintenance, insurance and other charges are additional. A lease default can accelerate remaining rent and charges and require repair/reletting and enforcement costs. No single rent amount or universal all-owner fee is supplied. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Service Desk Fee | $750 – $1,200 per year | When it applies | Only if centralized IT service-desk support is provided; $750-$1,200 annually per restaurant. Item 11 on page 72 separately includes help-desk services in required POS maintenance. The FDD does not establish that the two service descriptions are independent additive charges. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Late Charges | $0 – $75 per month | When it applies | Note 5 on PDF page 47: outstanding $1-$2,000 gives a $0 monthly administrative fee; $2,001-$5,000 gives $30; $5,001 and above gives $75, subject to the maximum permitted by law. Conditional late-payment charge, not every owner's monthly operating fee. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Crown Your Career Late Charges | Varies | When it applies | If financing is provided, overdue amounts bear 2% annual interest above the promissory-note interest rate. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Stamp Tax | Varies | When it applies | If franchisor provides financing, currently $0.35 per $100 on instruments signed or delivered in Florida. (Item 6, PDF p. 34) |
| Transfer of Interests | Varies | When it applies | $2,000 first restaurant, $500 each additional in the same transaction; $175 extra per restaurant for weekend or U.S. federal-holiday transfers. Intercreditor agreement, if signed, $2,000. (Item 6, PDF p. 35) |
| Application Fee | Varies | When it applies | $250 per individual applicant, including when ownership is through an entity; Item 6 states up to $5,000 per entity applicant. Item 5 on page 29 states $5,000 for entity ownership without the 'up to' qualification. The wording difference remains for confirmation. (Item 6, PDF p. 35) |
| Training Fees | $7,500 | When it applies | $7,500 per trainee before training, also payable on sale in a transfer as the table states. Items 5/11 on pages 33 and 69-71 describe new, additional and continuing training, possible discretionary group discounts, and the separate seller-paid $7,500 new-franchisee training fee on the first restaurant transferred to a non-franchisee buyer. Travel, living, wages, insurance, membership and materials/course charges may be additional. This row represents the table's training charge, not a charge for every restaurant every period. (Item 6, PDF p. 35) |
| Entity or LLC Fee | Varies | When it applies | Note 6 on PDF pages 47-48: $5,000 for the first proposed entity; $1,000 for each subsequent substantially similar entity with the same Managing Owner. Restaurant conversion/transfer charges are $1,000 each for the first ten, no additional fee for restaurants eleven through twenty, then $500 each for the twenty-first onward. The limited LLC-assignment processing alternative is listed separately, not charged in every conversion. (Item 6, PDF p. 35) |
| Franchise Extension Fee | $2,500 per year | When it applies | Only on approved extension; franchisor is not obliged to extend or renew. (Item 6, PDF p. 35) |
| Investment Spending (marketing) | Varies | When it applies | Up to 2% of Gross Sales for a designated marketing area's Investment Spending (IS) program. Item 11 on PDF page 74 makes participation optional unless the agreement's Majority Clause applies and at least 66.7% of eligible franchised/company restaurants in the DMA elect to participate; those franchisees then use the same IS terms. The franchisor determines program availability/terms and can terminate where the required participation is absent. This is not an unconditional every-owner levy. (Item 6, PDF p. 36) |
| Sales Transfer Study | $3,000 – $8,000 | When it applies | Per restaurant if a study is required; franchisor determines who pays. (Item 6, PDF p. 36) |
| Sales Impact Contribution | Varies | When it applies | Negotiated contribution based on the particular circumstances, typically a percentage of total costs with or without a cap. (Item 6, PDF p. 36) |
| Gift Card Services | Varies | When it applies | U.S. restaurants must participate, but the $40 per-restaurant setup charge is one-time and the estimated 1.8% transaction charge uses redeemed sales, not all Gross Sales. The transaction charge can be adjusted at most once per year. This mixed setup/transaction row is not a fixed annual charge or another 1.8% all-sales royalty. (Item 6, PDF p. 36) |
| BK University / Support and Training Material | $700 per year | When it applies | Required annual $700 per restaurant for eLearning/support and training material; instructor-led training is not included. Item 7's startup line separately prints $600-$700. The annual obligation remains payable; recurring:false excludes a training charge from the simplified recurring-fee model under the site's training rule, not from the franchisee's obligations. (Item 6, PDF p. 36) |
| Digital Services Fee | Varies | Every period | $110 per restaurant per month plus 1% of eligible monthly digital sales, capped at $4,500 per restaurant per year. Note 8 on PDF page 48 covers app/web and designated third-party ordering platforms, permits a change once annually, and prohibits deducting this fee from Gross Sales. The fee is additional to royalty/advertising; annual Gross Sales alone cannot determine it. (Item 6, PDF p. 37) |
| Static Menu Board Kit | $200 – $300 per month | When it applies | Only without an outdoor digital menu board; monthly merchandising pieces. (Item 6, PDF p. 37) |
| Miscellaneous Reimbursements, Purchases and Services | Varies | When it applies | Varies, typically up to $25,000 per person depending on course, material and travel; reimbursements and incidental purchases as agreed. (Item 6, PDF p. 37) |
| Follow Up Walk-Thru | $1,500 | When it applies | If a reported completed remodel is not substantially complete and a follow-up visit is made. (Item 6, PDF p. 37) |
| One Time Cure Fee | Varies | When it applies | TRA: $10,000. MTRA: remaining franchise-fee balance multiplied by restaurants not developed on schedule. Paying the cure fee also requires site/construction approval and opening by the extended dates; payment alone does not cure all obligations. (Item 6, PDF p. 37) |
| Deferred Remodel Default Payments | Varies | When it applies | Under prior incentive programs, the royalty rate rises TO 6.0% or 7.5% until the franchisor confirms the required remodel is complete. These replace the applicable royalty rate; they are not an additional 6.0% or 7.5% on top. Newer remodel-default conditions are identified separately. (Item 6, PDF p. 38) |
| Audit Expenses | Varies | When it applies | Actual audit cost if Gross Sales are understated by more than 2%. (Item 6, PDF p. 38) |
| Indemnity | Varies | When it applies | Losses and expenses incurred relating to restaurant operation and specified contractual enforcement costs. (Item 6, PDF p. 38) |
| Costs and Attorneys' Fees | Varies | When it applies | Varies if franchisor succeeds in legal action; new-restaurant disputes also require a $2,500 arbitration deposit. (Item 6, PDF p. 38) |
| Background Check Fee | $145 – $15,000 | When it applies | Typically $225 U.S., $145 Canadian, and $1,000-$15,000 international applicants. (Item 6, PDF p. 38) |
| Burger King Foundation | Varies | When it applies | At least $1,000 per restaurant each year must be purchased or raised through in-restaurant fundraising. Participation is required, but this is not necessarily a uniform $1,000 cash payment by the owner, nor a maximum. No invented fixed annual owner-payment amount is modelled. (Item 6, PDF p. 38) |
| Development Agreement Brand Damage Fee | Varies | When it applies | Remaining prepaid initial franchise fees if development agreement is terminated early. (Item 6, PDF p. 39) |
| Development Agreement Base Fees | Varies | When it applies | Conditional development-default royalty/advertising Base Fees. The definitions and grade-based reductions appear in Notes 2-3 on PDF pages 42-45, not the digital-services Note 8 referenced by the table. Royalty Base Fee is the greater of 4.5% or the then-standard rate; advertising uses its separately stated ceiling. Uncured defaults can remove reductions retroactively to opening, payable within 15 days of notice. These are replacement rates/default balances, not another universal fee. (Item 6, PDF p. 39) |
| Development Agreement Indirect Tax | Varies | When it applies | Applicable governmental charges on amounts under the development agreement. (Item 6, PDF p. 39) |
| Product Testing, Inspections and Approval | Varies | When it applies | Actual review costs, not exceeding $30,000 per product or supplier, for requested unapproved products or suppliers. (Item 6, PDF p. 39) |
| Third-Party Food Safety and Brand Standards Inspections | Varies | When it applies | Inspection costs only when a failed inspection or nonpassing metric requires reinspection or additional inspections. (Item 6, PDF p. 39) |
| Resale Fee (Carrols Refranchising Program) | $10,000 | When it applies | Per restaurant, payable 30 days after closing; program-specific. (Item 6, PDF p. 39) |
| Sublease Fee (Carrols Refranchising Program) | Varies | When it applies | Reimbursement of third-party landlord consent fees, payable 30 days after closing. (Item 6, PDF p. 40) |
| Target-Area Franchise Fee Deposit (Item 5) | Varies | When it applies | TRA: $5,000 per opening committed; MTRA: $10,000 per opening committed, with program exceptions. Credited toward the initial franchise fee on opening under the stated conditions. Item 7 Note 1 on page 54 instead describes MTRA deposits of either $5,000 or $10,000; the differing wording needs confirmation. Nonrefundable except the stated proposed-target option; specified site/permit constraints can shift credit to a substitute area. Do not add a credited deposit again to the full initial fee. (Item 6, PDF p. 32) |
| Development Agreement Franchise Fee Prepayment (Item 5) | Varies | When it applies | $50,000 for each restaurant committed, due on signing and credited to initial fees until exhausted. Later restaurants' initial fees use FSS grade: $25,000 for A/B or the greater-of-$50,000/then-standard Base Fee for D/F, with default and nonstacking conditions on page 33. This is prepaid franchise-fee funding, not a separate second full fee. (Item 6, PDF p. 32) |
| Carrols Asset Purchase and Closing Costs (Item 5) | Varies | When it applies | Conditional purchase price determined by the offered restaurant assets, plus purchased inventory, restaurant bank amount and a technology-installation charge up to $5,000 per restaurant. Due at closing and nonrefundable; other disclosed initial charges still apply. No purchase-price estimate or zero technology minimum is supplied. (Item 6, PDF p. 30) |
| Carrols Purchase Price Deposit (Item 5) | Varies | When it applies | 5% of total restaurant purchase price on signing the Term Sheet. Refundable upon written termination within 30 days; after that, credited at a completed purchase, forfeited for specified failures/breach, or refunded for the seller's breach or unmet mutually agreed financing contingency. This is not 5% of restaurant sales and must not be added again when credited. (Item 6, PDF p. 30) |
| Crown Your Career Purchase Deposit (Item 5) | $7,500 | When it applies | Within five days of the Term Sheet; credited to the completed purchase price. Subject to the stated training-phase/voluntary-exit/APA forfeiture and seller-breach or financing-contingency refund conditions. Separate from the similarly priced per-trainee training fee; not added again to a purchase price after credit. (Item 6, PDF p. 30) |
| Remodel Additional-Term Fee (Item 5) | $2,500 per year | When it applies | Conditional Reclaim the Flame 2 or eligible Sizzle Jr. successor agreement: $2,500 for each additional term year purchased, rounded up to a whole year. Required added term depends on program, remodel type and property control. This is a purchased-term fee, not a repeating operating charge for every year of ownership. (Item 6, PDF p. 31) |
| Limited LLC Assignment Processing (Item 6 Note 6) | $2,500 | When it applies | For an existing individual franchisee's approved assignment to an LLC without converting to the entity franchise-agreement form. Distinct alternative to the conversion schedule, not an extra fee in every entity conversion. (Item 6, PDF p. 48) |
| Newer Remodel Deadline Royalty Increase (Item 6 Note 2) | Varies | When it applies | Reclaim the Flame 2, Sizzle Jr., specified Midterm Remodel Agreements and the prior Reclaim the Flame program can add three percentage points to the otherwise applicable royalty when the remodel deadline is missed (PDF pages 41-42). Generally payable from the deadline until verified completion or agreement expiration; the prior Reclaim the Flame paragraph states verified completion as its ending condition. Midterm terms also address a Termination Event where termination is not exercised. These are conditional program increases, not three percentage points charged to every owner. (Item 6, PDF p. 41) |
| Crown Your Career Funded-Remodel Royalty (Item 6 Note 2) | Varies | When it applies | If the franchisor pays for the acquired restaurant's remodel under this program, it may charge an additional 1%-5% of Gross Sales for a period. Not a universal royalty supplement; duration and applicable program terms must be checked. (Item 6, PDF p. 44) |
| Required Data-Reporting Setup (Item 11) | $0 – $300 | When it applies | Approved-vendor POS/data transmission system; usual setup range depends on selected system and vendor. This is the FDD's stated usual zero lower bound, not a guarantee that setup is free. (Item 6, PDF p. 71) |
| Required Data-Reporting Annual Service (Item 11) | $200 – $1,200 per year | Every period | Usual annual per-restaurant range, depending on system and approved vendor; applies to required restaurant data reporting. (Item 6, PDF p. 72) |
| Required Network Standardization (Item 11) | $220 – $450 per month | Every period | Initial and ongoing hardware/service/support are quoted together per restaurant per month. Approved network vendor, firewall and business/guest Wi-Fi required; guest Wi-Fi is free to customers. The FDD does not provide a separate one-time hardware price. (Item 6, PDF p. 72) |
| Required POS Maintenance and Services (Item 11) | $2,000 – $4,000 per year | Every period | Typical annual per-restaurant software maintenance, Wi-Fi, menu maintenance and help-desk services. These descriptions may overlap the Service Desk/network packages; the source does not establish a nonoverlapping sum. Other requested upgrades/services may add unestimated costs. (Item 6, PDF p. 72) |
| Required POS Purchase (Item 11) | $20,000 – $25,000 | When it applies | Approximate per-restaurant purchase cost includes installation and a 36-month basic hardware warranty. Already represented by Item 7's Cash, Inventory Control and Order Taking System line, not another purchase added to the startup total. Required configuration and kiosk quantities affect the selected package. (Item 6, PDF p. 72) |
| Additional Course and Materials Charges (Items 5/11) | Varies | When it applies | Certain required training courses require an unestimated course or materials fee payable to the franchisor or third parties; Items 5/11 on pages 33 and 69-71 also require related travel/living, wages and insurance. Do not assume the $7,500 tuition pays every third-party certification/materials cost or invent a separate price. (Item 6, PDF p. 71) |
| Crown Your Career Financing Payments (Item 10) | Varies | When it applies | Only where franchisor financing is agreed. Monthly principal/interest, normally ten years or less; intended issuance-date rate is the then-current U.S. Prime Rate plus approximately 1%-4% annually, subject to change. Amount, credit terms and payment depend on the purchase. No current Prime Rate or payment amount is invented; default can accelerate the balance. (Item 6, PDF p. 63) |
Explore annual fees and payback assumptions
This fee schedule cannot be reduced to the calculator’s simple sales-based formula. Enter your own assumptions and check them against the Item 6 terms.
Burger King startup investment and modeled fees over 10 years
A source check placed this record on review hold. Automatic fee estimates are withheld until the outstanding issues are resolved. Standard royalty and the stated advertising contribution do not capture qualifying-program rates, optional/majority-triggered local spending, redeemed-sales gift-card charges or the capped digital-sales fee. Required reporting, network and POS-service packages have potentially overlapping descriptions. Training and Foundation purchase-or-fundraising obligations remain disclosed but are not universal fixed owner-payment inputs. Annual Gross Sales cannot determine all these charges; a nonoverlapping complete fee or ten-year total is withheld. See the fee amounts and definitions in Item 6 above. Open the calculator with your own assumptions.
Item 20: Burger King franchised outlet history
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 129.
Item 20 Table 3 reports 5,518 franchised outlets at the end of 2025. The company-owned table reports a further 1,132 outlets.
| Year | Franchised at Start | Opened | Reported Exits | At End | Franchise Exit Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6,992 | 61 | 413 | 6,640 | — |
| 2024 | 6,640 | 63 | 1,179 | 5,524 | — |
| 2025 | 5,524 | 83 | 89 | 5,518 | — |
Calculated outlet totals, net growth and exit rates are withheld because this record has not cleared the current Item 20 source checks. The table retains the outlet counts printed in Item 20. Read the unresolved source issues.
Reported exits include terminations, non-renewals, franchisor reacquisitions and other cessations. A reacquired outlet may continue operating. How we calculate the exit rate. How to read the Item 20 outlet tables.
242 units changed owners in 2025.
National all-state totals: franchised Table 3 on PDF page 129, company-owned Table 4 on page 132, transfers Table 2 on page 124. These are calendar years ended December 31. The 2024 Carrols acquisition on May 16 converted 1,023 restaurants from franchise-owned to company-owned; most of the 1,061 reacquisitions are therefore ownership changes, not physical shutdowns. Opened includes restaurants acquired by BKC and resold to franchisees. Non-renewed includes franchisees declining or mutually agreeing not to enter a successor agreement. Ceased-other can include a closed restaurant offset by a nearby new restaurant or loss of occupancy rights. Limited-license/disputed operations may remain open and not yet be shown as terminated. The FDD warns that posting dates, transfers, acquisitions and remodel closures/reopenings can overlap fiscal years and make other tables differ. Transfers exclude changes where beneficial ownership stays the same. The displayed exit-category sum is not a count of permanent physical closures.
How much do Burger King franchise owners make? (Item 19)
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 104.
Item 19 of the 2026 FDD reports average Sales (Traditional Franchisee-Owned) of $1,692,549 (January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025, 4,730 traditional franchisee-owned restaurants open and operating for the entire twelve-month period; company-owned restaurants excluded). Burger King’s Item 19 reports sales but no profit, costs or owner pay. Rent, payroll, supplies, loan payments and Item 6 fees come out of sales before an owner is paid, so these figures cannot show what an owner earns.
Read the source-review hold before using this figure.
See every Burger King Item 19 figure, with its period and sample.
Payback calculator (enter your own assumptions) Check any inputs against this record’s Item 7 startup costs and Item 6 fee rules.
How to interpret Burger King’s Item 19 figures and sample limits.
How long is the Burger King franchise agreement term?
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 17, PDF p. 86.
The standard Burger King franchise agreement runs 20 years, with renewal terms of 20 years.
Item 17 on PDF page 86: twenty-year freestanding term; shorter non-traditional/property-control or agreed terms may apply. There is no right of renewal. A successor agreement of up to twenty years requires compliance, property control, approval/application/release, then-current agreements, successor fees and upgrades/inspections. Big-Box Program and Delivery Restaurants have no successor-agreement option. The stated successor maximum is not an automatic guaranteed renewal.
How long does it take to open a Burger King franchise? (Item 11)
Source: Burger King 2026 FDD, Item 11, PDF p. 68.
Item 11 of the 2026 FDD states the time from signing the franchise agreement to opening: 30 days.
Item 11 says the franchise agreement is typically signed just before or at opening. The longer development period runs from signing a Target Reservation Agreement or Multiple Target Reservation Agreement, and Item 11 gives no typical length for it.
Compare Burger King with other franchises
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Frequently Asked Questions about Burger King
This record has unresolved source-review issues and was published provisionally. Read the specific issues before using these answers.
- What is the initial franchise fee for a Burger King?
- Item 5 states $50,000 for the standard twenty-year agreement. Shorter-term and eligible program fees differ. Unless otherwise stated it is due in full before opening; successor fees are due on signing. Item 7 instead labels execution as the payment date, so that difference needs confirmation.
- How much does a traditional Burger King restaurant cost?
- Item 7 prints a traditional-facility total, but the disclosed low-cost lines do not add up to that printed amount. The source discrepancy and property-allocation qualifications remain unresolved. Alternative-format totals have different scopes; this is not a verified all-in purchased-site budget.
- What is the royalty fee for a Burger King?
- Item 6 lists the standard royalty at 4.5% of monthly Gross Sales of monthly Gross Sales. Development incentives, remodel-default increases and Crown Your Career conditions can change the applicable rate. Advertising, digital services and other applicable charges are separate.
- How much does a Burger King owner make?
- Item 19 reports $1,692,549 in average annual sales for the eligible full-year traditional franchisee-owned sample. Company-owned restaurants, new openings and excluded closures are not in that selected sample. Costs have not been deducted, so the figure is not owner income or profit.
Sources
Burger King Company LLC Franchise Disclosure Document, issued March 26, 2026, as amended September 2, 2026, as filed with the Minnesota Commerce (CARDS). Read the source FDD PDF. How to get this FDD yourself.
- Item 5: cited PDF p. 29
- Item 6: cited PDF p. 34
- Item 7: cited PDF p. 50
- Item 19: cited PDF p. 104
- Item 20: cited PDF p. 129
- Agreement term (Item 17): cited PDF p. 86
Page references for Burger King use the PDF viewer's digital page count, not printed page headers. Some viewers download the document instead of opening the referenced page.
If the state document viewer does not open, use Minnesota Commerce's public filing instructions to look up the filing by franchisor name and document date.
Document & verification changelog
- October 29, 2026: Record updated.
- October 28, 2026: Source review hold recorded. Unresolved corrections are listed in this source section.
- October 9, 2026: Provisional publication approved per owner directive: Owner-directed provisional publication before independent source verification was complete.
- October 9, 2026: Initial cost profile published from the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (issued March 26, 2026).
- September 2, 2026: Amendment date recorded for the source FDD.