McDonald’s Satellite Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A McDonald’s Satellite franchise requires a total initial investment of $701K – $1.4M, including a $500 franchise fee. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $701K – $1.4M
- 87th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 0 outlets
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- N/A
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · 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 $701K – $1.4M including a $500 franchise fee.
- RETURNSFY2025 revenues from consolidated statement of income: Sales by Company-owned/operated restaurants $3,115M; Revenues from franchised restaurants $7,371M (total revenue $10,486M shown before other line items); Net income $3,579M.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 76/100 (higher is better).
- LEGAL20 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3, higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- McDonald's USA, LLC
- Parent company
- McDonald's Corporation
- Predecessor
- McDonald's Corporation
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Director and President
- Joe Erlinger
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 110 N. Carpenter Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.1B
- vs $7.4B prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joe Erlinger
- Headquarters
- Illinois
- Founded
- 1955
- FDD year
- 2026
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 59% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $500 | $500 |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $80K | $140K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $621K | $1.3M |
| Total initial investment | $701K | $1.4M |
Source: McDonald’s Satellite 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $701K – $1.4M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $80K – $140K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $500
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5% or 4% of Gross Sales, depending on the circumstances
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for McDonald’s Satellite is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one McDonald’s Satellite 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 annual revenue, royalty rate, 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.
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
FY2025 revenues from consolidated statement of income: Sales by Company-owned/operated restaurants $3,115M; Revenues from franchised restaurants $7,371M (total revenue $10,486M shown before other line items); Net income $3,579M.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How McDonald’s Satellite Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- N/A
- Opened
- 175
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
- % franchised
- 95%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 8
Last reporting year only, multi-year history not disclosed in this brand's FDD.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
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
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1.5 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 20 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- Technology Platform
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Technology Platform
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a McDonald’s Satellite franchise?
The total investment to open a McDonald’s Satellite franchise ranges from $701K – $1.4M, with an initial franchise fee of $500. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do McDonald’s Satellite franchise owners earn?
No average owner earnings figure for McDonald’s Satellite is on file. Item 19 — where a franchisor may disclose what its outlets earn — is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and we have not established what this brand's FDD says. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
What is Item 19 in the McDonald’s Satellite 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 McDonald’s Satellite FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is McDonald’s Satellite's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for McDonald’s Satellite (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
Is McDonald’s Satellite a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates McDonald’s Satellite as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 76 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.