Franchise opportunities compared
Mai 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
Mai
$5,900 – $26,270
2026 FDD · Item 7Subway
$227,000 – $458,000
2026 FDD · Item 7Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Mai
$3,500
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16Subway
$15,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29Royalty · Item 6
Mai
Not available
Subway
8%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Mai and Subway disclose 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
SubwayMai
Subway
Mai
Subway
Mai
Subway
Mai
Subway
System scale & health
SubwayMai
Subway
Mai
Subway
Mai
Subway
Mai
Subway
Mai
Subway
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
No reviewed Item 19 figures
SubwayNot 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.
Mai vs Subway: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Mai or Subway?
- Mai: $5,900 – $26,270 (2026 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 Mai. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Mai or Subway?
- Mai: 362 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 70); 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 Mai and Subway disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Mai 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.
Keep researching
Full Mai 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
