Pizza Hut Express Franchise Cost & 2025 FDD Data
73/100
Strongest tier
73 this brand51 Quick-Service Restaurants medianlikely 58–88: narrower with more SBA loans (low confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#422 of 3,068 graded brands
Why an A: Helped by scale, legal record and transparency. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $51K – $183K
- Pizza Hut Mini Kitchen format
- Avg gross sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from the FDD filing. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2025 FDD
Per the 2025 FDD, a Pizza Hut Express franchise requires a total initial investment of $51K – $183K for the Pizza Hut Mini Kitchen format (the filing prices $51K to $304K across four formats), including a $5K – $20K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 10.0%. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Verdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2025 FDD · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium (issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file)
Evidence for the headline figures: 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 scored4 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Quick-Service Restaurants median
Top edge: green = better than the Quick-Service Restaurants median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSThe FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19, so it discloses no revenue or earnings figures; Item 19 is voluntary, and the Financial performance section explains what that does and does not mean.
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 15 (51 opened, 36 closed).
- DATAThe FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19, so it discloses no revenue or earnings figures; Item 19 is voluntary, and the Financial performance section explains what that does and does not mean. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $15K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $23K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $94K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (2)
- 3 pending matters name the franchisor in Item 3 (litigation). Pending claims are allegations, not findings; for a system this size the score counts the legal record in the brand's favour. Read the matter in Item 3.
- You waive a jury trial in disputes with the franchisor (Item 17, renewal, termination and disputes).
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no net loss of franchised outlets in the latest Item 20 years, no supplier rebates to the franchisor and the full filing on file. Not on file here, so ask: SBA charge-off rate against the category median, competition inside your territory and owner-operator rule.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 76% below the Quick-Service Restaurants median ($487K).
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Pizza Hut, LLC (Item 1: 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Item 7 (startup costs) · 4 formats · 2025 FDD
Every building format
The filing prints a separate Item 7 table for each format.
4 formats, from $51K to $304K
| Format | Total investment | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza Hut Mini Kitchen(the range shown above) | $51K – $183K | p.22 |
| Pizza Hut Kiosk | $78K – $179K | p.22 |
| Pizza Hut Retail Counter | $106K – $224K | p.23 |
| Pizza Hut Retail Counter With Dining | $131K – $304K | p.24 |
Full Item 7 breakdown6 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial License Fee | $5K | $20K | |
| Site Survey Fee | $700 | $5K | |
| Equipment and Smallwares | $40K | $80K | |
| Remodeling and Construction | $2.5K | $64K | |
| Opening Inventory | $1K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $1.6K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $51K | $183K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
What do units actually make?
This FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation - a voluntary item - so unit sales aren't disclosed.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Pizza Hut Express unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $117K Item 7 midpoint (Pizza Hut Mini Kitchen format) is a $94K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $15K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $23K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $117K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $94K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
Pizza Hut Express makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no gross sales figures are disclosed. The return models need one gross sales figure to start from, plus the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions; nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Pizza Hut Express unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Not disclosed in Item 19. Enter your own gross sales assumption
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
No Item 19 figures are on file for this brand. Enter your own costs from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners.
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.
Item 7 midpoint of $51K to $183K
Item 7's additional-funds line is already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies annual revenue, ad fund rate, COGS, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $94K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
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: 2025 FDD · filed by Pizza Hut, LLC
Financial performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How Pizza Hut Express 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.
Who are you contracting with?
Pizza Hut, LLC, owned by Pizza Hut Guarantor, LLC.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Pizza Hut, LLC
- Parent company
- Pizza Hut Guarantor, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 10 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- YUM! Brands, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Aaron Powell
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 7100 Corporate Drive, Plano, Texas 75024
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Audited financials
Same owner · FDD Item 1
5 other brands on this site name YUM! Brands, Inc. as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- KFC (grade B)
- Pizza Hut (grade B)
- Taco Bell (grade A)
- Taco Bell Express (grade B)
- The Habit Burger Grill (grade A)
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Aaron Powell
Is the system healthy?
+47 franchised outlets between the first and last year-ends Item 20 prints (1,285 to 1,332, +3.7% in total, +1.8% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 260
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units rose from 1,285 in 2022 to 1,332 in 2024
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
Item 20 (outlet counts) outlets · 49 states
Where current outlets are
States with at least one current outlet in the Item 20 list the franchisor prints. Former owners are not counted, and this is not a list of where the franchisor may sell new units.
Current outlets · 48 states and DCNo current outlet
Government records
SBA loan data
Matched to this brand from SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What are the risks?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade A: Strongest tier, 73/100 (category median 51); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why an A, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; franchisor net income positive
- Unit economics NeutralNo Item 19 sales figure to set against the investment, so neutral
- Unit growth Neutral+47 franchised outlets between the first and last year-ends Item 20 prints (1,285 to 1,332, +3.7% in total, +1.8% a year compounded); turnover 2.7%
- Scale Helps1,332 franchised units; franchising since 1959
- Legal Helps4 matters naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list (0.3 per 100 outlets)
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 declines to disclose financial performance; audited financials
- Adjustments after the six dimensions (+1 point)Rounding: the score is kept as a whole number, which moved it by 1 point.
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Individual Claimants v. Pizza Hut, LLC: mass arbitration demand filed with AAA in California (Case 01-25-0009-3768) on December 3, 2025 by 80 individual claimants alleging violations of California and federal wiretapping laws, statutory larceny, invasion of privacy, and intrusion upon seclusion related to franchisor's use of the Meta Pixel on its website.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPMG LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Litigation case detail4 matters · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Pending (3)
EYM Pizza of Georgia, LLC et al. v. Pizza Hut, LLC
pendingBrought by a franchisee · filed 2024-07-01 · 101st Judicial District Court in Dallas County; removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas · 24-09359; 3:24-cv-1677
“… filed as Cause No. 24-09359 in the 101st Judicial District Court in Dallas County and removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas as Civil Action No. 3:24-cv-1677. On July 1, 2024, EYM filed a second Petition and Emergency Application for Temporary and Permanent Injunctive Relief.”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Pizza Hut, LLC v. EYM Pizza of Georgia, LLC, et al.
pendingBrought against a franchisee · filed 2024-06-07 · Northern District of Texas · 3:24-cv-1404
“… filed as Cause No. 3:24-cv-1404, in the Northern District of Texas. On June 7, 2024, PHLLC filed its Original Complaint against former franchisees EYM Pizza of Georgia, LLC, EYM Pizza of Illinois, LLC, EYM Pizza of Indiana, LLC, EYM Pizza of SC, LLC, EYM Pizza of Wisconsin, LLC, Eduardo Diaz, EYM Pizza, L.P., EYM Foods II, LLC, and Eduardo Diaz”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Pizza Hut, LLC v. Vardayani Mata, Inc., Mahender Patel, and Parul Patel
pendingBrought against a franchisee · filed 2024-11-08 · United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas · 4:24-cv-01002-ALM
“… filed in Cause No. 4:24-cv-01002-ALM in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. On November 8, 2024, PHLLC filed a complaint against defendants to recover the legal fees and”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Concluded (1)
EYM Pizza of Georgia, LLC et al. v. Pizza Hut, LLC
dismissedBrought by a franchisee · filed 2024-03-04 · 14th Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Texas; removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas · DC-24-03395; 3:24-cv-646
“… filed as Cause No. DC-24-03395, in the 14th Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Texas and removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas as Civil Action No. 3:24-cv-646. On March 4, 2024, plaintiffs EYM Pizza of Georgia, LLC, EYM Pizza of Illinois, LLC, EYM Pizza of Indiana, LLC, EYM Pizza of SC, LLC, and”Page 16 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 2 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Non-compete (years) | 1.5 years |
| Right of first refusal | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination grounds | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- On-the-job training
- 10 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3–6 mo
- From signing to launch (FDD p.33)
- Site selection
- Franchisee, subject to franchisor approval
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Item 20 (outlet counts) · call current owners
Franchisee contacts
Who can you call before you sign?
1,265 current outlets listed, run by 156 franchisee companies
Each record has the franchisee (company or owner name as the filing prints it), phone number, city and state. 1,265 records. From the filing's Item 20 (the outlet list); the FDD itself is the free source. Our list covers 1,265 of the 1,332 franchised outlets Item 20 counts at year end; the owner exhibit prints the rest without a usable phone number, or omits them.
For your own due-diligence calls only. Not for telemarketing, marketing lists, or automated or prerecorded calls or texts.
The list is not offered for this brand yet. The FDD's Item 20 exhibit lists the owners.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Pizza Hut Express franchise?
Per the 2025 FDD, the total investment to open a Pizza Hut Express franchise ranges from $51K to $183K for the Pizza Hut Mini Kitchen format, with an initial franchise fee of $5K – $20K. Across every format the filing prices, totals run from $51K to $304K (four formats). This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do Pizza Hut Express franchise owners earn?
Pizza Hut Express makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no gross sales figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Pizza Hut Express?
Pizza Hut Express is franchised by Pizza Hut, LLC. Its parent company is Pizza Hut Guarantor, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is YUM! Brands, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Pizza Hut Express 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. The Pizza Hut Express FDD does not make an Item 19 financial performance representation, so this page shows no earnings figure.
What is Pizza Hut Express' franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate, and Pizza Hut Express has too few resolved SBA 7(a) loans on file (fewer than 10) to show an SBA charge-off rate that would mean anything. The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. Review the turnover and closure figures in Item 20 of the FDD and speak with current and former franchisees.
How many Pizza Hut Express franchise locations are there?
Per the 2025 FDD, Pizza Hut Express has 1,332 franchised units and 0 company-owned (1,332 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 15 (51 opened, 36 closed).
Is Pizza Hut Express a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Pizza Hut Express an A Verdict grade (Strongest tier) with a verdict score of 73 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by scale (1,332 franchised units), legal record and transparency. The “Why an A” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Quick-Service Restaurants franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.