Which franchise has the highest average sales in 2026?

Among the brands reviewed here, Culver's reports the highest 2025 average sales, at $4.142 million per restaurant. McDonald's reported a comparable $4.088 million for its U.S. traditional restaurants. High sales do not by themselves indicate high profit, since investment and operating costs also differ.

Do all franchisors disclose profit figures?

No. Item 19 is optional under the FTC Franchise Rule. Many franchisors publish gross sales only, some publish nothing, and a smaller group discloses EBITDA, operating cash flow or margins, sometimes for company-operated units only.

What is the Franchise Business Review Most Profitable Franchises list?

It is an annual list built from surveys of franchise owners. Brands qualify when at least 25% of responding owners report annual income of $150,000 or more and satisfaction scores meet the publisher's benchmarks. The income data is self-reported.

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Latest News from McDonald’s

McDonald’s Faces Class Action Over AI Pricing Tool Deployed Across Its Franchise Network

A proposed class action filed in federal court targets McDonald's and its franchisees over an AI-powered pricing tool that, plaintiffs allege, amounts to algorithmic price-fixing across more than 14,000 US restaurants. The case raises a question that reaches every QSR franchisor in the country: when a recommended price becomes a…

8 Oct 2026Franchise Networks

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Franchise Times Top 400 2026: McDonald’s Leads the Pack at $139.4 Billion

The 2026 edition of the Franchise Times Top 400, the most closely watched annual ranking in the US franchise industry, places McDonald’s at the top among franchise brands, with $139.4 billion in global systemwide sales across 45,356 locations. The ranking covers all franchise categories and reflects a year in which…

1 Oct 2026Franchise Networks

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McDonald’s Commits $8.5 Billion to Support U.S. Franchisees Through 2036

McDonald's has unveiled an $8.5 billion franchisee support program running through 2036, with $5 billion committed by 2030. The plan distributes rent relief and direct capital across 13,500 U.S. franchised restaurants, projecting an average annual cash flow improvement of $100,000 per unit. The announcement arrives as domestic same-store traffic continues…

24 Sep 2026Franchise Networks

McDonald’s Franchisees Flag Falling Profits as Remodel Costs Loom

A National Owners Association survey of more than 100 McDonald's franchisees finds that 95% saw store-level profitability fall in the first quarter of 2026, and 97% say the chain's current plan is not improving their cash flow. The results arrive just as McDonald's prepares a remodel cycle estimated to cost…

1 Sep 2026Franchise Networks

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Trian Steps Back From Wendy’s as CEO Bob Wright Leads Turnaround Amid Declining Traffic

Trian Fund Management has no current plans to pursue a Wendy's acquisition, per Reuters, pulling back from reports earlier this month that Nelson Peltz was assembling a buyout group. The retreat puts the turnaround of the Wendy’s franchise brand squarely in the hands of CEO Bob Wright, who took over…

31 Aug 2026Entrepreneur Stories, Entrepreneurship, Franchise Networks