Franchise opportunities compared

    Licensed Location 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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Licensed Location

    Not available

    Subway

    $227,000 – $458,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Licensed Location

    Not available

    Subway

    $15,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Royalty · Item 6

    Licensed Location

    Not available

    Subway

    8%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Subway discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only neither brand has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Licensed Location

    Not available
    No reviewed Item 7 total

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    $1,500
    Marketing Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Subway

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

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Licensed Location

    0
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    +0
    Calculated: 0 at end of 2023 → 0 at end of 2025

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Subway

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

    Licensed Location

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Subway

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    LLLicensed Location

    No reviewed Item 19 figures

    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.

    Licensed Location vs Subway: common questions

    Which has more locations, Licensed Location or Subway?
    Licensed Location: 0 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47); Subway: 18,773 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 94). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Licensed Location and Subway disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Licensed Location has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file; 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

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