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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Thai Express vs The Budlong Hot Chicken

    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.

    Thai Express2026 FDDThe Budlong Hot Chicken2025 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Thai Express

    $494,050 – $532,400

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    $134,650

    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Thai Express

    $30,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Thai Express

    18%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 38

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Thai Express figures come from its 2026 FDD and The Budlong Hot Chicken figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Thai Express discloses 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

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Thai Express

    $494,050 – $532,400
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    $134,650
    Single Budlong unit — Total 1 3 $ 1 34 ,650 to $8 28 ,000
    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Thai Express

    $30,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Thai Express

    18%
    Breaching Royalties: for percentage-based royalties, up to 18% of Gross Sales during any period of franchisee breach or default, without advance notice or right to cure; franchisor may instead charge the greater of three times the fixed Royalty fee. Breaching Royalties apply for at least 14 days.
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 38

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Thai Express

    4%
    Marketing Fund Contributions may be increased to 4% of Gross Sales only if at least 75% of franchisees in the system at the time vote in favor. — 4%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Thai Express

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    6
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 50
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Thai Express

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    +2
    Calculated: 4 at end of 2022 → 6 at end of 2024
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Thai Express

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Thai Express

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Thai Express

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Thai Express

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    The Budlong Hot Chicken

    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.

    Thai Express vs The Budlong Hot Chicken: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Thai Express or The Budlong Hot Chicken?
    Thai Express: $494,050 – $532,400 (2026 FDD · Item 7); The Budlong Hot Chicken: $134,650 (2025 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 The Budlong Hot Chicken. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Do Thai Express and The Budlong Hot Chicken disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Thai Express makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; The Budlong Hot Chicken 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.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Thai Express report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full The Budlong Hot Chicken report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item