A&w Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $894K – $1.6M
- Disclosed sales
- $1.3M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 17.1%
- on 97 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
A&W is a quick-service franchise known for its root beer, floats, burgers, and coneys. Franchisees run restaurants, freestanding, endcap, or non-traditional, with drive-thru and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A A&W franchise requires a total initial investment of $894K – $1.6M, including a $15K – $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.3M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 17.1% charge-off rate across 97 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $894K – $1.6M
- 91st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.3M
- Net sales25th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 409
- 87th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 17.1%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $894K – $1.6M including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.3M/year (median $1.2M), with an estimated 10% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDAR).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 17.1% across 97 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -21 franchised outlets in the latest year (5 opened, 26 closed); 8 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- A&W Restaurants, Inc.
- Parent company
- A Great American Brand, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2026 FDD
- CEO title
- CEO and President
- Betsy Schmandt
- Incorporated in
- Michigan
- HQ
- 1648 McGrathiana Parkway, Suite 380, Lexington, KY 40511
- Auditor
- Dean Dorton
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $11.9M
- vs $11.7M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Betsy Schmandt
- Headquarters
- Kentucky
- Founded
- 1950
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 37
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 161% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | — | — | |
| Professional Fees, Licenses & Permits | $30K | $84K | |
| Building Costs Including Site Work | $500K | $869K | |
| Signs | $70K | $88K | |
| Technology System | $33K | $70K | |
| Furnishings, Fixtures & Equipment | $185K | $276K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $15K | $30K | |
| Grand Opening Promotion Deposit | $5K | $5K | |
| Management Training Course Expenses | $3K | $10K | |
| On-Site Team Member Training Expenses | $8K | $30K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $6K | $12K | |
| Opening Inventory | $9K | $16K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $30K | $150K | |
| Total initial investment | $894K | $1.6M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $894K – $1.6M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $150K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 5.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 10.4 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 5.0% of net sales |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $16K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 33% above the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for A&W until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$1.4M
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings
The FDD reports $244K as EBITDAR. This is a disclosed figure, not our estimate — we publish no modelled profit for A&W.
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one A&W unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Avg gross sales
- $1.3M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.2M
- Avg ebitdar
- $244K
- Reported as EBITDAR in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 9.6%
- Based on EBITDAR / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Historical average/high/low/median Net Sales by quartile, reported separately for Freestanding and Convenience/Gas-station Restaurants, plus a P&L (EBITDAR) subset
- Sample size
- 59 outlets
- vs category median 19 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $450K→$3.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 47 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $784K→$2.0M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 10 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.3M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.0x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.5%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 10/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+1.4% 3-year CAGR) with 409 units.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How A&w Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
A&W's 2026 FDD prints two Table No. 1 blocks: single-brand outlets (2025: 208 franchised, 2 company-owned, 210 total) and Co-Brand outlets shared with Long John Silver's (2025: 199 franchised, 0 company-owned). The counts here are the sum, 407 franchised / 409 total, per owner ruling R31 (a count is every franchise agreement under the row's own document); Long John Silver's counts the same 199 buildings in its own filing.
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 409
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 26
- Terminated
- 20
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 6
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.4%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +1.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +1.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 20
- Not renewed
- 6
- Transferred
- 3
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 8
- 0.02 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 8
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 36 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- California
- Hawaii
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
268 current owners across 36 states.
- WI 47
- MI 36
- MN 19
- OR 14
- OH 11
- MO 10
- CA 9
- IA 9
- ID 8
- KS 8
- KY 8
- NY 8
- +24 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 97
- Loan volume
- $41.2M
- Median loan
- $682K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 17.1%
- on 97 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 82.9%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 16
- Defaults
- 12
- Typical loan rate
- 6.1%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.8%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 481
- 3.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 36% went to startups / new businesses, 64% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in limited-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 10.8% vs 10.0% for independents — franchising is associated with 8% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing A&w franchisees
Showing 3 of 16 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for A&w from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.3%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 69%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.13%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $50K
- Lender concentration
- 14.3%
- Job velocity
- 3.2 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 8.7%
- NAICS 722513
- Jobs supported
- 481
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 14% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Western Bank & Trust | 3 | $213K | 0.0% |
| 2 | Clare Bank, National Association | 3 | $2.4M | N/A |
| 3 | Glenwood State Bank Incorporated | 2 | $267K | 100.0% |
| 4 | BMO Bank National Association | 1 | $718K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Stearns Bank National Association | 1 | $681K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Hanmi Bank | 1 | $682K | 0.0% |
| 7 | The Bank of Commerce | 1 | $30K | 0.0% |
| 8 | Atlantic Union Bank | 1 | $1.5M | N/A |
| 9 | Milestone Bank | 1 | $845K | N/A |
| 10 | Hometown Bank | 1 | $1.4M | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| MNMinnesota | 7 | 1 | 25.0% |
| WIWisconsin | 3 | 0 | -- |
| COColorado | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| IAIowa | 2 | 0 | -- |
| MIMichigan | 2 | 0 | -- |
| ARArkansas | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| IDIdaho | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| KSKansas | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NVNevada | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans here charge off near the 16.0% national average.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Dean Dorton
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNet income of $244K on $1.33M revenue implies 18.4% net margin, which is optimistic for QSR; sustainability unclear without disclosed expenses breakdown
- 02MINOR20-year term locks franchisee into aging brand during rapid industry consolidation and changing consumer preferences
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Territory population | 30,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 17 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 8 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Kentucky |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 37 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 44 hrs
- Training location
- A&W's Restaurant Support Center in Lexington, Kentucky and A&W's company-owned Restaurant in Richmond, Kentucky
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- both
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- PAR POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: PAR POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
268 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a A&W franchise?
The total investment to open a A&W franchise ranges from $894K – $1.6M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do A&W franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the A&W FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.3M. The median is $1.2M. Important context: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns A&W?
A&W is franchised by A&W Restaurants, Inc.. Its parent company is A Great American Brand, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the A&W FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the A&W FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is A&W's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, A&W has a charge-off rate of 17.1% across 97 loans, meaning 17.1% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many A&W franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, A&W has 409 total units in the United States, including 407 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year. A&W's 2026 FDD prints two Table No. 1 blocks: single-brand outlets (2025: 208 franchised, 2 company-owned, 210 total) and Co-Brand outlets shared with Long John Silver's (2025: 199 franchised, 0 company-owned). The counts here are the sum, 407 franchised / 409 total, per owner ruling R31 (a count is every franchise agreement under the row's own document); Long John Silver's counts the same 199 buildings in its own filing.
Is A&W a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates A&W as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.