Franopolis
    vs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Del Taco vs Subway

    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.

    Del Taco2025 FDDSubway2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Del Taco

    $1,041,200 – $3,321,000

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Subway

    $227,000 – $458,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Del Taco

    Not available

    Subway

    $15,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Royalty · Item 6

    Del Taco

    2%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    Subway

    8%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    Before you compare

    • Del Taco figures come from its 2025 FDD and Subway figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Del Taco and Subway disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Del Taco has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Del Taco

    $1,041,200 – $3,321,000
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Subway

    $227,000 – $458,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Del Taco

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Subway

    $15,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Del Taco

    2%
    royalty fees will be reduced to 1% of net sales during the first year of operations, — 2%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    Subway

    8%
    Royalty fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Del Taco

    4%
    machines), newspaper stands, slot machines, wireless, or similar machines. Marketing — 4% — 4%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Subway

    4.5%
    Advertising fee — 4.5%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Del Taco

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Subway

    18,773
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 94
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Del Taco

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Subway

    −1,360
    Calculated: 20,133 at end of 2023 → 18,773 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Del Taco

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Subway

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Del Taco

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Subway

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Del Taco

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Subway

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Del Taco
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Freestanding company-owned — 2024
    $92,502
    other Table19-2A Benefits
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised freestanding
    $1,524,836
    other Franchised freestanding Median Sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 47
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised same-store sales
    -32.3 percent
    other Franchised same-store sales Lowest Same Store Sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52
    +54 more groups in the full report
    Subway

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    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.

    Del Taco vs Subway: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Del Taco or Subway?
    Del Taco: $1,041,200 – $3,321,000 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Subway: $227,000 – $458,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Subway. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Del Taco and Subway royalties compare?
    Del Taco: 2% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21); Subway: 8% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Del Taco and Subway disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Del Taco has reviewed Item 19 figures for 57 location groups; Subway makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Del Taco report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Subway report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Compare Del Taco with

    Compare Subway with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item