Franchise opportunities compared
A Sub Above vs A&W Restaurants, Inc.
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Initial investment · Item 7
A Sub Above
$436,176 – $1,162,228
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 1A&W Restaurants, Inc.
$424,130 – $1,640,034
2026 FDD · Item 7Initial franchise fee · Item 5
A Sub Above
$20,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15A&W Restaurants, Inc.
$30,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 9Royalty · Item 6
A Sub Above
6.5%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16A&W Restaurants, Inc.
Not available
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- A&W Restaurants, Inc. discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (A Sub Above: 1, A&W Restaurants, Inc.: 11). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
A&W Restaurants, Inc.A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
System scale & health
A&W Restaurants, Inc.A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
A Sub Above
A&W Restaurants, Inc.
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
A&W Restaurants, Inc.Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
A Sub Above vs A&W Restaurants, Inc.: common questions
- Which costs less to open, A Sub Above or A&W Restaurants, Inc.?
- A Sub Above: $436,176 – $1,162,228 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 1); A&W Restaurants, Inc.: $424,130 – $1,640,034 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for A&W Restaurants, Inc.. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Do A Sub Above and A&W Restaurants, Inc. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- A Sub Above has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; A&W Restaurants, Inc. has reviewed Item 19 figures for 11 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Keep researching
Full A Sub Above report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full A&W Restaurants, Inc. report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
