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FDDIntel
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Report Generated: February 08, 2026 Data Source: Official FDD Filing (2025)

FIREHOUSE SUBS

QSR

59
Average
1248
Total Units
N/A
Median Revenue
N/A
Total Investment
6.0%
Royalty Rate
N/A
Est. Profit
N/A
Closure Rate

The FIREHOUSE SUBS franchise charges a 6.0% royalty fee and operates 1,248 units in the QSR category. This report analyzes the full Franchise Disclosure Document including unit economics, fee structure, growth trends, and risk indicators to help you evaluate the cost of investing in FIREHOUSE SUBS.

Key Takeaways

Growth Signal
Net +57 units over 3 years (+5.0% growth)
Fee Burden
Royalty + ad fund = 11.0% of gross sales, vs 7.8% category average
Financial Disclosure
This brand discloses financial performance data (Item 19)
No major red flags detected -- Always conduct your own due diligence before investing.

FDDIntel Score 59/100 · Average

Composite quality score based on growth, stability, efficiency, fees, transparency, and system size.

Unit Growth
8/20
Stability
12/20
Investment Efficiency
10/20
Fee Reasonableness
4/15
Transparency
10/10
System Size
15/15

1 Cost of Entry FDD Item 7

Estimated initial investment range as disclosed in the most recent FDD.

View detailed breakdown table
Line Item Low Estimate High Estimate
Other $0 $500
Franchise Fee $20,000 $20,000
Other $3,000 $5,000
Training $7,000 $26,000
Other $5,000 $5,000
Real Estate $0 $0
Buildout $0 $5,000

2 Fee Structure FDD Items 5 & 6

Ongoing fees as disclosed in the FDD.

Royalty
0% Avg 4.7% 15%
6.0%
Ad Fund
0% Avg 3.1% 8%
5.0%
Franchise Fee
$0 Avg $20K $75K
$20K

Core Recurring Fees

Royalty (Gross Sales per Accounting Period)
6.0% monthly
System Fund Contribution (Gross Sales per Accounting Period)
5.0% monthly

Technology Fees

MIS System Fees $1,200 /annually
Digital Technology Fees $150 /monthly
Digital Technology Fees - Variable Component 1.0% /monthly
Technology Fees Variable /monthly
Est. Monthly Total (fixed) ~$150/mo

Other Recurring Fees

Delivery Guest Support Services Fee (Per delivery order on Firehouse Subs mobile app or website)
$0 monthly
View complete fee table (7 items)
Fee Type Rate Type Basis Frequency
Royalty 6.0% PCT Gross Sales per Accounting Period monthly
MIS System Fees $1,200 FIXED Annual fee per Restaurant annually
Digital Technology Fees $150 FIXED Per Restaurant per month monthly
Digital Technology Fees - Variable Component 1.0% PCT Digital Sales monthly
Delivery Guest Support Services Fee $0 VARIABLE Per delivery order on Firehouse Subs mobile app or website monthly
Technology Fees $0 VARIABLE Per transaction monthly
System Fund Contribution 5.0% PCT Gross Sales per Accounting Period monthly

3 Financial Performance Item 19 Available

Financial performance data as disclosed in FDD Item 19.

View all disclosed financial metrics (5 rows)
Metric Value Unit Cohort Period
Number of Restaurants 256.0 COUNT Top 25% FY2024
Number of Restaurants 255.0 COUNT 25%-50% FY2024
Number of Restaurants 255.0 COUNT 50%-75% FY2024
Number of Restaurants 256.0 COUNT 75%-100% FY2024
Number of Restaurants 1022.0 COUNT All Units FY2024

4 Risk Assessment

Automated risk indicators based on FDD data analysis.

Growing System
Net +57 units over 3 years (+5.0%). Healthy franchise expansion.
%
Reasonable Fee Burden
Combined royalty + ad fund of 11.0% is within normal range.
Financial Data Disclosed
This franchisor provides Item 19 financial performance representations, enabling better due diligence.

5 Unit Growth & Health FDD Item 20

Franchise unit trajectory based on FDD Item 20 data.

Year Start Opened Closed Transferred End Closure Rate Net Growth
2022 1126 -- -- -- 1149 -- +23
2023 1149 -- -- -- 1170 -- +21
2024 1170 -- -- -- 1206 -- +36

6 Category Comparison QSR Brands

How FIREHOUSE SUBS compares to peer brands in the QSR category.

Investment Midpoint

Median Revenue (Item 19)

Investment-to-Revenue Ratio

Ratio = Investment midpoint ÷ median annual revenue. Lower is better. A 0.5x ratio means the initial investment equals half of one year's gross revenue. Does not account for operating costs, margins, or time value of money.

Brand Total Units Investment Range Median Revenue Royalty Inv/Rev Ratio
Subway 19502 $3K – $630K No Item 19 -- --
McDonald's 12772 $1.47M – $2.64M No Item 19 5.0% --
Dunkin' 8499 $527K – $1.83M $1.43M -- 0.8x
Domino's Pizza 7043 -- $24K 5.5% --
Burger King 6701 -- No Item 19 -- --
Wendy's 5552 $393K – $2.99M $2.23M 4.0% 0.8x
Little Caesars 3705 $446K – $1.82M No Item 19 6.0% --
KFC 3558 $135K – $3.77M $1.27M 5.0% 1.5x
Papa John's 3291 $261K – $853K No Item 19 5.0% --
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 3177 $505K – $3.92M No Item 19 5.0% --

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