ITEMS 5–7 · FDD 2026
How much is a BNI franchise?
Per BNI's 2026 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $35K (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $53K–$270K (Item 7); once open, you pay an ongoing royalty of 20.0% of gross sales (Item 6).
$35K
one-time, to buy in
20.0%
of gross sales, ongoing
$53K–$270K
franchisor's own estimate
The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: 20.0% of every sale leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD; use the Item 19 figures as a starting point, not a promise.
To open (Item 7)
$53K–$270K
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$35K
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
20%
of sales, ongoing
Your figure — cross-check against this brand's Item 19 and current-owner validation.
Royalty you'd pay / yr
$200K
20% of sales, before profit
Over a 10-yr term
$2M
royalties alone, excl. ad fund
This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.
Build a real pro-forma for BNI with an independent CPABNI cost questions, answered from the filing
How much is a BNI franchise?
Per BNI's 2026 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $35K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $53K–$270K (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.
What royalty does BNI charge?
BNI charges an ongoing royalty of 20.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD.
Does BNI tell you what franchisees earn?
Partly — BNI makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $293K. Unit revenue is not owner profit: subtract royalties, ad fund, rent, labor, and debt service.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing BNI's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →