Franchise opportunities compared
Moe’s Southwest Grill vs Wingstop
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.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Moe’s Southwest Grill: 5, Wingstop: 5). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Moe’s Southwest Grill |  Wingstop |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $310,400 – $1,048,500 Total initial investment, excluding real estate 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $7,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29 | $25,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Date Due Remarks Royalty Fee — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30 | 6% Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 |
| 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 | $5,000 Transfer marketing expenditure 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 1,136 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85 | 5,172 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 67 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −88 Calculated: 1,224 at end of 2023 → 1,136 at end of 2025 | +1,320 Calculated: 3,852 at end of 2023 → 5,172 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 | 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 — All Wingstop Restaurants in the U.S. open entire 2025 Measured Period, franchis… 55 restaurants other Systemwide WRI-owned count · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 65 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — WRI-owned Wingstop Restaurants open entire 2025 Measured Period $4,038,428 other WRI-owned highest annual net sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Wingstop Restaurants open entire 2025 Measured Period $1,890,866 other Franchised median annual net sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 65 +2 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 Wingstop: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Moe’s Southwest Grill or Wingstop?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: $644,425 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 43); Wingstop: $310,400 – $1,048,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Wingstop. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Moe’s Southwest Grill and Wingstop royalties compare?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 30); Wingstop: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Moe’s Southwest Grill or Wingstop?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill: 1,136 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 85); Wingstop: 5,172 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 67). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Moe’s Southwest Grill and Wingstop disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Moe’s Southwest Grill has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Wingstop has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 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.