How much does it cost to open a franchise with Chick-fil-A?

The franchisor's Item 7 table puts the total initial investment to open a franchise with Chick-fil-A at $317,521 to $3,463,155, according to their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

What is the Murk Score for Chick-fil-A?

Chick-fil-A has a Murk Score of 26/100 (MODERATE, our band for scores 2 to 39). The Murk Score measures FDD transparency across 32 binary checks covering disclosure completeness, system trajectory, franchisor solvency, internal consistency, and litigation. A lower score indicates greater transparency.

How many Chick-fil-A franchise locations are there?

Chick-fil-A has 2,863 outlets in total, franchised and company-owned, with a net change of +179 in the last reported year, according to Item 20 of their FDD.

Does Chick-fil-A have any franchise litigation?

According to Item 3 of their FDD: Litigation detected: 3 concluded, class action.

[ VERIFIED // FDD 2026 ]

Chick-fil-A

Q: What is the royalty rate for Chick-fil-A franchise?

The ongoing royalty is not a single percentage of sales. The FDD describes it as: Operating Service Fee, 'Determined by formula' (Item 6, p31). BASE FEE: the amount by which 15% of monthly Gross Receipts exceeds the monthly equipment rental ($750-$5,000) and the $300 business services fee, so those three charges together equal 15% of Gross Receipts (note 2(d), p33). PLUS an ADDITIONAL FEE of 50% of the restaurant's Net Profit, calculated after the base fee and the Operator's $1,000 monthly Base Profit and before any compensation the Operator pays themselves (note 2(b),(e),(f), p33-34). Premises RENT is a SEPARATE monthly charge of $3,500 to $100,655 payable to Chick-fil-A (p28); a policy caps it at 6% of annual Gross Receipts but is stated to be 'not a part of any contract' (p39). The audited notes call BOTH fees 'continuing royalties' and put the base percentage at 'ranging from 12-15%' (p403). Source: FDD Item 6.

Report based on the 2026 FDD, issued March 31, 2026.

For Chick-fil-A, the 2026 FDD estimates a total initial investment of $317,521 to $3,463,155 (Item 7).

Verified: Sep 30, 2026

4 RED FLAGS DETECTED

0/100

MURK SCORE

FRANCHISE SONAR MURK SCORE: MODERATE(our band for scores 2 to 39)

Does Chick-fil-A Have Franchise Litigation?

Litigation detected: 3 concluded, class action.

[ FULL LITIGATION ANALYSIS LOCKED ]

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How Much Does a Chick-fil-A Franchise Cost?

Royalty Rate	Initial Investment	Total Units	Net Growth (1Y)
Revenue share Operating Service Fee, 'Determined by formula' (Item 6, p31). BASE FEE: the amount by which 15% of monthly Gross Receipts exceeds the monthly equipment rental ($750-$5,000) and the $300 business services fee, so those three charges together equal 15% of Gross Receipts (note 2(d), p33). PLUS an ADDITIONAL FEE of 50% of the restaurant's Net Profit, calculated after the base fee and the Operator's $1,000 monthly Base Profit and before any compensation the Operator pays themselves (note 2(b),(e),(f), p33-34). Premises RENT is a SEPARATE monthly charge of $3,500 to $100,655 payable to Chick-fil-A (p28); a policy caps it at 6% of annual Gross Receipts but is stated to be 'not a part of any contract' (p39). The audited notes call BOTH fees 'continuing royalties' and put the base percentage at 'ranging from 12-15%' (p403).	$318K to $3.5M	2,863	+179

Royalty Rate

Initial Investment

Total Units

Net Growth (1Y)

Revenue share

Operating Service Fee, 'Determined by formula' (Item 6, p31). BASE FEE: the amount by which 15% of monthly Gross Receipts exceeds the monthly equipment rental ($750-$5,000) and the $300 business services fee, so those three charges together equal 15% of Gross Receipts (note 2(d), p33). PLUS an ADDITIONAL FEE of 50% of the restaurant's Net Profit, calculated after the base fee and the Operator's $1,000 monthly Base Profit and before any compensation the Operator pays themselves (note 2(b),(e),(f), p33-34). Premises RENT is a SEPARATE monthly charge of $3,500 to $100,655 payable to Chick-fil-A (p28); a policy caps it at 6% of annual Gross Receipts but is stated to be 'not a part of any contract' (p39). The audited notes call BOTH fees 'continuing royalties' and put the base percentage at 'ranging from 12-15%' (p403).

$318K to $3.5M

2,863

+179

Source: FDD Items 6, 7, 20

VERIFIED // CHECKED AGAINST THE FDD

What Does Chick-fil-A's Item 19 Disclose About Earnings?

Item 19 average for the group the FDD reports	Number in the group	Median for the group
$0,000,000	000	Unlock to see

[ EARNINGS DATA LOCKED ]

Item 19 figures, each with the group it covers and its FDD page

[ RISK_ALERT ]

We found 4 red flags in Chick-fil-A's FDD.

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We found 4 red flags in Chick-fil-A's FDD.

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Chick-fil-A

Does Chick-fil-A Have Franchise Litigation?

How Much Does a Chick-fil-A Franchise Cost?

What Does Chick-fil-A's Item 19 Disclose About Earnings?

We found 4 red flags in Chick-fil-A's FDD.

[ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ]

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