This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
Investment
—
Total fees
9% of sales
Outlets
13,457
Closure signals
1 ceased
Lawsuits
19
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses avg $3.96M franchised sales + pro forma operating income before occupancy at 3 tiers; excludes rent, royalty, D&A, interest — overstates profitability
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
Outlet turnover data from the FDD.
Legal history (Item 3)
19 matters disclosed.
Get the full McDonald's validation report — $149
The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Discloses avg $3.96M franchised sales + pro forma operating income before occupancy at 3 tiers;…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
McDonald's's current FDD excerpt doesn't clearly state a total investment range — ask for Item 7 directly.
How much do McDonald's franchise owners make?
Discloses avg $3.96M franchised sales + pro forma operating income before occupancy at 3 tiers; excludes rent, royalty, D&A, interest — overstates profitability We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
What is the McDonald's franchise failure rate?
Turnover data is in Item 20 of the FDD (13,457 outlets).
Is a McDonald's franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. McDonald's scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 19 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a McDonald's? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
We publish only aggregated benchmarks — never your name. Contribute and we'll show you how your numbers compare.
Source: MN CARDS doc 00854694 (2024 clean FDD). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with McDonald's or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.