#franchisefee

so you're thinking about opening a franchise. cool! exciting! terrifying! before you sign literally anything, let's talk about two costs that trip up almost every new franchisee: the initial franchise fee and royalty fees.

people use "franchise fee" as a catch-all term and honestly? it's confusing. you're going to pay MULTIPLE fees as a franchisee, so let's get specific.

the initial franchise fee (aka the "let me in the club" fee)

this is a one-time payment you make upfront to the franchisor. it covers the right to actually open the franchise, developing your location, and joining the whole system. it also usually covers stuff like your initial training, marketing help, broker commissions if there were any, and other launch-related services.

the receipts: this fee is disclosed in Item 5 of the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — basically the legal doc every franchisor has to give you before you sign.

the damage: typically somewhere between $25,000 and $65,000, though there's technically no required minimum.

fun fact: franchisors have to keep this fee competitive because otherwise nobody would pick them over a similar brand. it's usually not negotiable, but you CAN (and should) compare FDDs across similar franchises before deciding.

⚠️ important: this fee is NOT your total startup cost. Item 7 of the FDD breaks down your full estimated initial investment — don't get blindsided.

royalty fees (aka the "you're still paying us" fee)

if the initial fee is your entry ticket, royalty fees are more like rent — except it's for using the brand's name, logo, systems, and ongoing support. think of it like a trademark license.

the damage: usually 5–9% of your gross sales, ongoing, for as long as you're operating under that brand.

some franchisors set a minimum royalty payment you owe even if your location isn't making money yet. yeah. read that again. it's a major revenue stream for franchisors so this part is usually locked in tight.

the receipts: disclosed in Item 6 of the FDD, which also covers other recurring costs — marketing fees, tech/software fees, late fees, renewal fees, transfer fees, etc.

so... now what?

everything above IS in the FDD. but "it's disclosed" ≠ "it's easy to understand." this is genuinely the moment to hire a franchise lawyer. so many people skip this step to save a little money upfront and end up paying way more later because they didn't fully understand what they signed.