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FDD Year-over-Year Comparison

Subway FDD: What Changed from 2025 to 2026

Subway's 2026 FDD lists an Item 7 estimated initial investment of $263,000–$630,000, against $263,000–$630,000 in the 2025 filing.

Source: WI state filings · Updated May 2026 · ClearlyFDD

Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment

2025 FDD2026 FDDChange
Low end of range$263,000$263,000unchanged
High end of range$630,000$630,000unchanged
Full range$263,000–$630,000$263,000–$630,000

The Item 7 estimated initial investment range matches across both filings at $263,000–$630,000.

2026 filing: The total initial investment amounts listed in Item 7 correspond to a single traditional restaurant; non-traditional sites and special programs may have different estimated ranges. Item 6 details a variety of other ongoing and technology-related fees.

Item 20 — System Size (Outlet Count)

2025 FDD2026 FDDChange
Total outlets (Item 20)19,50218,773−729 (−3.7%)
Franchised outlets19,50218,773−729 (−3.7%)
Company-owned outlets00unchanged
Openings during the year435499+64
Closures during the year8851,076+191

Subway reports 18,773 outlets in the 2026 FDD, against 19,502 in the 2025 filing — a change of −729 (−3.7%).

Outlet counts as each filing states them — 2025: Year ended 2024; 2026: As of December 31, 2025. All U.S. outlets are franchised; there are no company-owned units as shown in Item 20. Openings, closures, and transfers are reported for the most recent fiscal year in the provided tables.

Item 19 — Financial Performance Representations

Neither the 2025 nor the 2026 Subway filing includes an Item 19 financial performance representation.

Item 6 — Ongoing Fees

2025 FDD2026 FDDChange
Standard royalty rate8%8%unchanged

The standard royalty rate holds at 8% of Gross Sales across both filings.

2025 filing: Gross sales includes all sales of every kind made from your restaurant; excludes amounts collected for state or local sales taxes. Royalty due on or before the Friday following the close of the business week (usually Tuesday). 2026 filing: Royalty rate is based on gross sales and is subject to limited exceptions or reductions for certain non-traditional locations and under select multi-unit arrangements as described in Item 6.

Frequently asked questions

Did the cost to open a Subway franchise change in the 2026 FDD?

The 2026 FDD for Subway states an Item 7 estimated initial investment of $263,000–$630,000, against $263,000–$630,000 in the 2025 filing. Both filings state the same range.

How many locations does Subway have?

The 2026 FDD for Subway reports 18,773 outlets in Item 20, against 19,502 in the 2025 filing — 729 fewer.

How many Subway locations closed?

The 2026 FDD for Subway reports 1,076 outlet closures for the year it covers, against 885 in the 2025 filing.

Did Subway change its royalty rate?

No. Both the 2025 and 2026 filings for Subway state a standard royalty of 8%.

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