Franchise opportunities compared
Moe’s Southwest Grill vs Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
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.
- Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers 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 (Moe’s Southwest Grill: 5, Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Moe’s Southwest Grill |  Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $1,463,457 – $2,900,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $7,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29 | $50,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Date Due Remarks Royalty Fee — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30 | 4% Royalty — traditional/Groundbreaker 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18 |
| 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 | 1.5% National Advertising: 1.50% to 4.00% of Gross Sales — 1.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 1,136 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −88 Calculated: 1,224 at end of 2023 → 1,136 at end of 2025 | Not available Only one year reported |
| 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 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company Restaurants $1,023,446 other Table 1 Company Restaurants · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Transportation non-traditional franchise restaurants 9 restaurants other Table 2 Transportation · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 59 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Fuel non-traditional franchise restaurants 235 restaurants other Table 2 Fuel · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 59 +5 more groups in the full report |
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 Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Moe’s Southwest Grill or Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: $644,425 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 43); Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers: $1,463,457 – $2,900,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Moe’s Southwest Grill. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Moe’s Southwest Grill and Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers royalties compare?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30); Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Do Moe’s Southwest Grill and Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 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.