Open a Fast Food Franchise

A fast food franchise lets an operator open a burger, chicken, pizza or takeaway restaurant under an established brand, with its menu, suppliers, kitchen layout and ordering systems already in place. In the UK, most published investments run from around £100,000 to £350,000, while delivery-only concepts added to an existing kitchen can start under £20,000.

The UK fast food market

The UK fast food and takeaway sector counts close to 50,000 businesses, according to industry estimates, ranging from global chains to independent takeaways. Recent growth has come from delivery apps, digital ordering, chicken and burger concepts, and new formats outside the high street, such as drive-thrus and retail park units.

How a fast food franchise works

The franchisee pays an initial fee for the right to trade under the brand, then ongoing fees on turnover and a marketing levy, in exchange for the recipes, the supply chain, the ordering and delivery technology, training and national marketing. Many of the largest international chains look for experienced or multi-site operators, while younger UK brands recruit first-time franchisees and single-site owners, often expecting them to run the restaurant day to day before opening more units.

Fast food franchise opportunities in the UK, by format

Burger and chicken restaurants

The largest segment of UK fast food, with dine-in seating, takeaway counters and delivery. Kitchens need grills, fryers and extraction, and trade peaks at lunch, in the evening and at weekends. Many burger and chicken concepts serve halal menus, which widens their catchment in many UK towns and cities.

Pizza and delivery-led takeaways

Units built around a production kitchen and a delivery radius rather than seating. Sales come mostly from online orders, through the brand’s own app and third-party platforms, so the site is chosen for the density of homes within the delivery zone rather than for passing trade.

Healthy and world food counters

Burritos, poke bowls, salads and bowls served from an assembly line in a few minutes. These formats suit city centres, office districts and shopping centres, with a lunchtime peak, a lighter kitchen than a burger restaurant and a strong share of digital orders.

Food-to-go counters and kiosks

Small units built around one product, such as toasties, jacket potatoes or wraps, in shopping centres, stations and food halls. They need less space and equipment, which brings the investment down to around £100,000 at the lower end, but depend on very high footfall.

Delivery-only and virtual brands

Menus cooked in an existing restaurant kitchen and sold only through delivery apps, with no shopfront. An established takeaway or restaurant can add one for under £20,000, which makes it the lowest-cost entry point into fast food franchising, though it relies on the operator already having a kitchen and staff.

How much does a fast food franchise cost in the UK?

There is no published average for the sector. Among franchisors that publish a figure, total investments for a restaurant or takeaway mostly run from around £100,000 to £350,000, with personal contributions of around £50,000 to £150,000. Initial franchise fees range from about £10,000 to £40,000. The largest costs are the kitchen fit-out, extraction and ventilation, equipment, signage and the rent deposit.

Ongoing costs include fees on sales, a marketing levy, staff, food, packaging, delivery platform commissions and business rates. In England, retail and hospitality properties pay a multiplier of 38.2p where the rateable value is below £51,000, and 43.0p up to £499,999. Coffee-led formats are covered in the coffee shop franchises section, and food-to-go bakeries in the bakery and pastry franchises section.

What to weigh up before opening

Site and planning: a unit already used as a takeaway, with extraction in place, can save months and a large part of the fit-out budget.

Delivery margins: delivery apps widen the catchment but take a commission on every order, so the share of sales made through them has a direct effect on profit.

Hours and staffing: evening and late trade mean long hours and a large part-time team, which makes recruitment and rotas a central part of the role.

Rules that apply to a fast food franchise in the UK

Food business registration: according to gov.uk, a new food business registers with its local authority at least 28 days before trading, then receives a food hygiene inspection.

Planning: in England, a hot food takeaway is a use class of its own, so turning a shop, café or restaurant into a takeaway requires planning permission, and councils often attach conditions on opening hours and extraction.

Late-night licence: in England and Wales, serving hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am requires a premises licence for late night refreshment.