Franchise opportunities compared
Subway 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.
Initial investment · Item 7
Subway
$227,000 – $458,000
2026 FDD · Item 7Taco Bell Corp.
$152,250 – $1,766,250
2026 FDD · Item 7Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Subway
$15,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29Taco Bell Corp.
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
Subway
8%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36Taco Bell Corp.
Not available
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Subway and Taco Bell Corp. 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
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
System scale & health
SubwayTaco Bell Corp.Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Subway
Taco Bell Corp.
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
SubwayNot disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation
Taco Bell Corp.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.
Subway vs Taco Bell Corp.: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Subway or Taco Bell Corp.?
- Subway: $227,000 – $458,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Taco Bell Corp.: $152,250 – $1,766,250 (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, Subway or Taco Bell Corp.?
- Subway: 18,773 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 94); Taco Bell Corp.: 235 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Subway and Taco Bell Corp. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Subway makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; 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.
Keep researching
Full Subway report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full Taco Bell Corp. report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
