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Captain D's vs McDonald's — which franchise is the better buy?

Side by side from the public FDDs — no franchisor spin.

	Captain D's	McDonald's
Disclosure honesty	B	C
Investment from	$662,000	—
Total fees	5.5%	9%
Outlets	518	13,457
Lawsuits	0	19

Captain D's: what their numbers say

Gross sales data for 210 franchised and 281 company-owned comparable restaurants for fiscal year 2025. Franchised avg $1,082,533; company-owned avg $1,010,526. Does not include royalties, advertising fees, or franchisee-specific expenses.

McDonald's: what their numbers say

Discloses avg $3.96M franchised sales + pro forma operating income before occupancy at 3 tiers; excludes rent, royalty, D&A, interest — overstates profitability

Get the real owner take-home for either — $149

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