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Franchise Intelligence

Duck Donuts.

Specialty Retail franchise. 31 outlets. Here's what opening a Duck Donuts franchise actually costs in 2026 — and what you can expect to earn.

Updated Apr 21, 2026 EFDID1545000
from $29 · personalized to you
Initial investment
$334K – $0.5M
Per unit, build-out incl.
Total outlets
31
Latest FDD
Royalty rate
5%
of gross revenue
Median unit revenue
$0.8M
Item 19
The answer, up front

How much does a Duck Donuts franchise actually cost?

The published range is $334,098 to $455,705 all-in per unit, per the latest FDD filing.

Line itemAmountSource
Initial franchise fee$30,000FDD Item 5
Total initial investment — low$334,098FDD Item 7
Total initial investment — high$455,705FDD Item 7
Royalty rate (ongoing)5% of grossFDD Item 6
Marketing fee (ongoing)1% of grossFDD Item 6
Overview

About Duck.

Duck Donuts is a specialty retail franchise with 31 locations system-wide.

Initial investment ranges from $334,098 to $455,705. Detailed breakdown of where the capital goes is in the full FDD — unlock below.

The economics

What does a unit actually earn? Locked

Item 19 of the latest FDD reports median and quartile unit revenue. Unlock for the full distribution, breakeven timeline, and peer comparison.

MetricTop quartileMedianBottom quartile
Gross revenue$1,742,000$1,301,847$847,000
Unit count (reporting)812527294
Breakeven monthMo 14Mo 22Mo 34+

Unlock unit economics

Full Item 19 distribution, breakeven timelines, peer comparisons for Duck Donuts and specialty retail category.

Technology

Required tech stack. Locked

The systems Duck Donuts franchisees run — mandated vendors, approved alternatives, and annual cost benchmarks. If you sell into this vertical, this is your map.

SystemCategoryMandated?Annual cost
POS PlatformPaymentsApproved pair$1,800
Scheduling / CRMOperationsYes$6,000
Reporting SystemAnalyticsYes$2,400

Unlock the vendor map

Full required tech stack, franchisee spend benchmarks, and a displacement playbook if you sell into this vertical.

Frequently asked

The questions we hear.

How much does a Duck Donuts franchise cost?

Total initial investment ranges from $334,098 to $455,705 per unit, per the latest FDD filing. The initial franchise fee is $30,000.

What is the royalty rate for Duck Donuts?

Duck Donuts charges a 5% royalty on gross revenue, plus a 1% marketing fee.

How much does a Duck Donuts location make?

Average unit revenue per the latest FDD is $818,900. Full quartile distribution and breakeven timeline in the franchisee report.

How many Duck Donuts locations are there?

There are 31 Duck Donuts outlets system-wide as of the latest FDD filing.

Compare

Similar specialty retail franchises.

Custom report

Build your Duck Donuts report.

90-second guided flow. Four persona templates. Priced from $29. First page is always free.