Identify the perfect franchise for you! Take our short quiz Take our free franchise quiz!
Identify the perfect franchise for you! Take our short quiz Take our free franchise quiz!
Identify the perfect franchise for you! Take our short quiz Take our free franchise quiz!

Five Most Expensive Franchise Types

There are thousands of franchises in all type of industries, some of which can be started for as little as $25,000 and some of which require millions of dollars. Here are five of the most expensive industries for franchise businesses:

1. Hotels and motel franchises 

Hotels and motels are generally the largest franchises and are far and away the most expensive. Hotel and motel franchises of all different price and quality levels cost a couple of million dollars to begin. The real estate is expensive to begin with, and then building out the hotel property costs a lot more property size. One of the most expensive franchises in this area may be the Doubletree by Hilton, which can cost upwards of $50 million to get started.

2. Restaurant franchises

Casual restaurants like TGI Fridays cost around $1 million to begin. A Denny's, for example, costs between $1 million to $2 million to start up.

3. Fast food franchises

While not all franchises in this category are very expensive, many of the biggest fast food names, such as McDonald's and Burger King charge higher franchise fees than some lesser-known chains for the universal power of their brand names.

4. Gas station/convenience store franchises

This category is dominated by large national names like 7-Eleven that cost about a million dollars. Only some locations have a gas station, but that addition significantly tacks on to the total costs.

5. Storage franchises

The massive commercial space necessary for a storage franchise is the biggest expense incurred

Breaking Down Royalty Fees

When people think of the costs of opening a franchise they typically just think about the franchise fee. That makes sense, seeing as the franchise fee is typically a substantial cost, ranging from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dollars. But, this isn't the only payment a franchisee needs to make to the franchisor. Once operations start a franchisee typically needs to pay some form of ongoing royalties to the franchisor.

FlipFlop Dogs: Why We Started the Veteran Franchise Giveaway

veteran, as a small token of our appreciation and gratitude for all they have done for our country.

New Government Data Will Measure the Economic Impact of Franchising

According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), newly released data in the 2007 Economic Census Franchise Report will help quantify the economic impact of franchising. “Determining the economic impact of franchising is a key strategic priority for the IFA in our efforts to showcase the importance of franchising to the U.S. economy,” said Ken Walker, IFA chairman as well as chairman and CEO of Driven Brands.