The 10 Most Profitable Franchise Brands in the World

Franchises are some of the most profitable businesses in the world. From retail to restaurants to real estate, franchises are everywhere. Check out the top 10 most profitable franchises in the world, along with a “Did You Know?” fact about each one.

No. 1: McDonald’s Corporation

• Investment Range: $1.4 million to $2.5 million
• Unit Count: 39,690+ 
• Annual Sales: $100 billion

Did You Know? Interestingly, McDonald’s brand was started in 1940. It was first a BBQ restaurant before the original founders (brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald) switched to nine items: $0.15 hamburgers, cheeseburgers, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips and a slice of pie. Multi-mixer salesman Ray Kroc started its first franchise location in 1955. The original location now stands as a museum in San Bernardino, California. 

No. 2: KFC

• Investment Range: $1,442,600 to $2,771,550
• Unit Count: 26,490+
• Annual Sales: $27.9 billion

Did You Know? Yum! Brands Inc.’s KFC is famous for its original recipe, which is still a secret today! The secret chicken recipe, which is made up of 11 herbs and spices, is kept in a vault at its Louisville, Kentucky headquarters. 

No. 3: Burger King

• Investment Range: $1.8 million to $4.2 million
• Unit Count: 19,240+
• Annual Sales: $27.9 billion

Did You Know? Fast food giant Burger King is owned by parent company Restaurant Brands International, which began as a burger fast food joint called Insta-Burger King in 1953. The company expanded in 1967 when it took on the iconic Burger King name. 

No. 4: 7-Eleven

• Investment Range: $125,000 to $1.3 million
• Unit Count: 81,880+
• Annual Sales: $89.0 billion

Did You Know? Convenience store franchise 7-Eleven was founded in 1927 in Dallas, Texas. It started as an idea from a man named John Jefferson Green. He approached Joe Thompson, an employee of the Southland Ice Company, to partner up and sell eggs, milk and bread from a homemade storefront in one of the company’s icehouses. Today, the company is known for its Slurpees and Big Gulp deals. 

No. 5: Domino’s Pizza

• Investment Range: $119,950 to $461,700
• Unit Count: 19,880+
• Annual Sales: $14.30 billion

Did You Know? Domino’s Pizza has grown to become one of the most recognized and leading pizza brands in the world. With a focus on employee development, more than 95% of Domino’s franchisees in the U.S. started off as part-time pizza makers or delivery drivers. 

No. 6: Ace Hardware Corporation

• Investment Range: $579,000 to $1.9 million
• Unit Count: 5,745+
• Annual Sales: $17.0 billion

Did You Know? Ace Hardware is a home improvement store with nearly 6,000 locations. It was incorporated in 1928 and named after the “Flying Aces,” the courageous fighter pilots from World War I. Notably, Ace Hardware franchisees don’t have to pay franchise or royalty fees. 

No. 7: Century 21 Real Estate

• Investment Range: $25,000 to $459,000 
• Unit Count: 13,900+
• Annual Sales: $1.5 billion

Did You Know? Century 21 Real Estate helps franchisees become licensed real estate agents. Around its 50-year mark, the company gave itself a makeover for a more modern feel, including a new logo. In 2017, a Millward Brown research study found that the Century 21 brand was the most recognizable of all the real estate brands in the country. 

No. 8:  Papa John's International, Inc.

• Investment Range: $200,000 to $789,000
• Unit Count: 5,750+
• Annual Sales: $3.63 billion

Did You Know? Papa John’s is one of the most well-known pizza franchises today. But did you know that it actually started out of a broom closet? Founder John Schnatter was a dishwasher at his father’s restaurant when he decided he wanted to open his own pizza chain. After tearing down a wall of a broom closet in the back of Mick’s Lounge and building a small kitchen, his venture began. 

No. 9: Taco Bell

• Investment Range: $576,000 to $3.4 million
• Unit Count: 7,900+
• Annual Sales: $11.78 billion

Did You Know? Yum! Brands-owned Taco Bell is known for its Mexican-inspired fan favorites such as the Cheesy Gordita Crunch and Crunchwrap Supreme. Though most people probably grab their food through the drive-thru window today, the brand first started as an outdoor hangout where people sat around fire pits and listened to live mariachi bands.

No. 10: Pizza Hut

• Investment Range: $367,000 to $2.1 million
• Unit Count: 17,350+
• Annual Sales: $12.9 billion

Did You Know? Yum! Brands closes out the list with its subsidiary Pizza Hut. The company is one of the world’s biggest cheese consumers. It consumes around 3% of the U.S. cheese production, using more than 300 million pounds of cheese every year.

With fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about how they were founded and recognized today, these 10 companies have mastered the art of expansion. They’ve also kept their brands consistent and loved by customers around the world.