Franchise opportunities compared
Moe’s Southwest Grill vs Taco Bell Corp.
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.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Taco Bell Corp. discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only Moe’s Southwest Grill has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Moe’s Southwest Grill |  Taco Bell Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $644,425 Endcap and Inline 23 $644,425 $1,401,650 Total Initial Investment – Freestanding 23 — 644425 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 43 | $152,250 – $1,800,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $7,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Date Due Remarks Royalty Fee — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30 | Not available No reviewed royalty record |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 1% Marketing Obligation Currently, each calendar quarter, you must spend not less than — 1% — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 1,136 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85 | 484 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −88 Calculated: 1,224 at end of 2023 → 1,136 at end of 2025 | +5 Calculated: 479 at end of 2023 → 484 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | 2001 From a verified franchisor listing | 1964 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional eligiblefranchises Top Quartile $1,686,299 other Top Quartile · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 83 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional eligiblefranchises Total $1,137,571 other Total · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 83 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional eligiblefranchises 3rd Quartile $879,161 other 3rd Quartile · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 83 +2 more groups in the full report | 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.
Moe’s Southwest Grill vs Taco Bell Corp.: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Moe’s Southwest Grill or Taco Bell Corp.?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: $644,425 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 43); Taco Bell Corp.: $152,250 – $1,800,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Taco Bell Corp.. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Moe’s Southwest Grill or Taco Bell Corp.?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: 1,136 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85); Taco Bell Corp.: 484 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Moe’s Southwest Grill and Taco Bell Corp. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Taco Bell Corp. 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.