SMALL BUSINESSMERIDIANSign in

Restaurants

Burger King franchise

Burger restaurant brand offering the Whopper and related quick-service meals.

Opening investment
$348,400–$4,730,600

Published estimates across six formats; all-in budget fit is unverified. Site and property exclusions apply. The freestanding low total is $210,000 below its component sum.

U.S. locations
6,650

FY2025 · U.S. systemwide end-of-year total · franchised and company-owned

Worldwide locations
19,933

2026-06-30

Systemwide sales
$29.4 billion

FY2025 · worldwide systemwide sales · issuer-reported

Opening costs and fees

$348,400–$4,730,600

Published estimates across six formats; all-in budget fit is unverified. Site and property exclusions apply. The freestanding low total is $210,000 below its component sum.

Operating formats

Traditional Freestanding

$2,039,200–$4,730,600

Published FDD estimate

The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. The printed low total is $210,000 below the sum of its components.

Co-Brand

$896,200–$1,682,800

Published FDD estimate

The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. Burger King component only; the other business is excluded.

In-Line / End Cap

$944,800–$1,942,800

Published FDD estimate

The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. Burger King component only; the other business is excluded.

Mall Food Court

$655,720–$1,131,700

Published FDD estimate

The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. Decor cells are dashes; the missing component is not zero. Burger King component only; the other business is excluded.

Indoor MRS

$348,400–$789,100

Published FDD estimate

The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. Burger King component only; the other business is excluded.

Big-Box

$564,600–$979,100

Published FDD estimate

The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. Burger King component only; the other business is excluded.

Royalty and advertising
Standard royalty is 4.5% of monthly Gross Sales. Advertising is 4.5% under the dated Fuel the Flame terms; separate local investment spending can be up to 2%. Program, remodel and digital-sales charges can change the total.2026-03-26 amended 2026-09-02

Running the business

Active operating leadership required
The designated Operating Partner or ordinary Entity Managing Owner must supervise full time. A single-restaurant owner must also serve as its trained restaurant manager. Approved addenda have separate director rules; do not assume passive ownership is allowed.2026-03-26 amended 2026-09-02
Equity requirements depend on the agreement
Individual Operating Partner: at least 50% equity including profits. Ordinary Entity Managing Owner: currently at least 25%, subject to guidelines/addenda. Crown Your Career: all equity and additional outside-business restrictions.2026-03-26 amended 2026-09-02
Training before opening
Initial program: up to 20 classroom/online hours and up to 320 restaurant hours, plus applicable food-safety requirements. Initial fee is $7,500 per trainee; travel, living, wages and insurance are additional. Further training can be required.2026-03-26 amended 2026-09-02
Support has defined limits
Site approval is not site selection or a compliance guarantee. Opening and ongoing assistance are provided as Burger King deems appropriate or reasonably necessary. Technology maintenance is the franchisee’s responsibility; no nearby advertising spend is guaranteed.2026-03-26 amended 2026-09-02

Revenue and performance

Reported sales, before costs
For full-year 2025 Traditional franchisee-owned restaurants, the FDD reports average gross sales of $1,692,549 and median sales of $1,593,606. The table note describes 4,730 restaurants, but other Item 19 population figures conflict. These figures are not owner profit.January 1–December 31, 2025
Remodel results are a selected historical comparison
The remodel-scope table reports average sales uplift of 12.8% for 1,031 selected U.S. Traditional remodels, compared with unremodeled local controls. These remodels had estimated capital spending of at least $650,000. This is not new-restaurant sales, owner income or a guaranteed return; sample and subgroup-total questions remain.Remodels completed 2018–2024; disclosed before/after 12-month comparison, not calendar 2025 sales
Sales disclosure scope
Burger King reports average gross sales of $1,692,549 for full-year 2025 U.S. traditional franchises. Its sample and closure counts conflict. See performance details.January 1–December 31, 2025

Revenue is sales before expenses, not owner income. Compare matching periods, formats and location samples.

Locations

6,650 U.S. locations (FY2025 · U.S. systemwide end-of-year total · franchised and company-owned).

Existing locations do not establish that a new territory is available. Confirm your market with the franchisor.

Sources and figure notes

Reporting periods and scope

U.S. locations

Burger King reported 6,650 U.S. systemwide outlets at December 31, 2025, comprising 5,518 franchised and 1,132 company-owned outlets. The FDD Item 20 system table is a U.S. state-based outlet disclosure; it does not include Canada or international outlets. The total includes franchised and company-owned outlets; it is not a franchisee-only count. The source reports an end-of-year stock for FY2025. Openings, closures, transfers and reacquisitions are not substituted for the ending total. The FDD notes the May 16, 2024 Carrols acquisition changed 1,023 franchised restaurants to company-owned restaurants; ownership counts therefore should not be compared without that context.

Worldwide locations

19,933 restaurants worldwide as of June 30, 2026, including franchised and company-owned restaurants. Burger King-specific ownership split is not reported here. The parent company’s all-brand franchise percentage is not applied to Burger King.

Systemwide sales

$29,368 million ($29,368,000,000 normalized whole USD) in reported worldwide systemwide sales for fiscal 2025. This is systemwide sales, not average unit revenue, franchisor revenue, profit or owner income.

Opening investment

Traditional Freestanding: $2,039,200–$4,730,600 (Disclosed Item 7 range; format, site, property and exclusion notes apply. All-in budget fit is unverified. The printed low total is $210,000 below the sum of its listed low components; the source total is retained.) Co-Brand: $896,200–$1,682,800 (Disclosed Item 7 range; format, site, property and exclusion notes apply. All-in budget fit is unverified.) In-Line / End Cap: $944,800–$1,942,800 (Disclosed Item 7 range; format, site, property and exclusion notes apply. All-in budget fit is unverified.) Mall Food Court: $655,720–$1,131,700 (Disclosed Item 7 range; format, site, property and exclusion notes apply. All-in budget fit is unverified. The decor cells are dashes; the missing component is not zero.) Indoor MRS: $348,400–$789,100 (Disclosed Item 7 range; format, site, property and exclusion notes apply. All-in budget fit is unverified.) Big-Box: $564,600–$979,100 (Disclosed Item 7 range; format, site, property and exclusion notes apply. All-in budget fit is unverified.) The cover excludes real estate, while Item 7 includes occupancy charges. This is not an all-in property purchase budget. Site and property assumptions vary by format; no adjusted total is calculated. The three-month startup allowance excludes any Sales Impact Contribution. Co-brand and nontraditional estimates cover the Burger King component only, not the other business.

Research snapshot: . Sources and methodology

Compare independent startup vs. franchise economics

Compare Burger King’s franchise model against starting or buying an independent business in burgers (line-item CapEx, 0%-royalty owner SDE margins & SBA resale multiples):

Fast-Casual Restaurant blueprint ($250,000–$950,000 startup)Food Truck & Mobile Kitchen blueprint ($65,000–$220,000 startup)

Compare other restaurants franchises

SubwayMcDonald'sDunkinTaco BellDomino’s