Food franchise opportunities in Canada: what franchisors publish

Food franchise opportunities in Canada include bakeries and coffee shops to breakfast restaurants, burger counters, sub shops and Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurants. This page sets out what seven food franchisors with pages on Deavo publish about cost: COBS Bread, Coffee Time, Eggsmart, Fatburger, Mr. Sub, Subway and Taco Bell. Each franchisor’s pages, as read, give fee, total investment and royalty terms, and the brands are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Pizza brands have their own page. Each figure is quoted as published, with the date it was read. None of it says which food franchise would suit you or earn more.

What seven food franchisors publish

These are the franchisors’ own figures, from the pages listed in this guide’s sources:

• COBS Bread: “no initial franchise fee” for new bakeries; a new location at approximately $800,000+ and an existing one anywhere from $400,000 to $1,000,000+; a royalty of 7% of weekly sales; no currency named (read Nov 4, 2026).
• Coffee Time: an Initial Franchise Fee of $25,000.00 inside a development budget totalling $590,700.00, and a Royalty Fee of 5% of all sales per week; all costs are subject to applicable sales taxes; no currency named (read Nov 4, 2026).
• Eggsmart: a $35,000.00 franchise fee, a total cost of opening of approximately $820,000.00, and a Royalty Fee of 5% of all sales per week (read Oct 22, 2026).
• Fatburger Canada: a one-time franchisee fee of $50,000, a typical total investment of $450,000—$750,000, less for food courts, and ongoing royalties of 6% (read Oct 22, 2026).
• Mr. Sub, on MTY Franchising’s page for the brand: a $30,000 franchise fee, a total investment of $350,000 to $400,000, and a royalty of 6% of gross sales; no currency named (read Nov 4, 2026).
• Subway: a $15,000 initial franchise fee for each location, an estimated initial investment of $199,135 - $536,745, and a royalty of 8% of gross sales, each footnoted to its franchise disclosure document (read Oct 22, 2026).
• Taco Bell Canada: an initial fee of $51,200 USD plus applicable taxes, indexed to US CPI, a total investment of $1MM - $1.6MM, size dependent and excluding real property, and a royalty of 6% of gross sales (read Nov 4, 2026).

What a development budget leaves out

Coffee Time and Eggsmart each say their development costs “do not include working capital, opening inventory, rent and utility deposits and legal expenses.” Taco Bell’s range excludes real property and depends on size. Fatburger’s typical range is lower for food courts, Mr. Sub’s page says costs may vary based on location, size and landlord work, and Subway’s range depends on building size, configuration and location. A total that leaves out working capital or rent deposits is not the cash you would need on opening day. Ask each franchisor for a complete budget, and compare it with what the disclosure document says about the cost of opening.

Fees that are not a simple number

Not every fee is a flat amount. COBS Bread waives the initial franchise fee for new bakeries, and its page does not state a fee for an existing bakery; it also says some other franchise fees and charges may apply from time to time, as detailed in its disclosure document. Taco Bell’s fee is stated in US dollars, plus applicable taxes, indexed to US CPI and adjusted annually. Several of these pages name no currency at all. Royalties differ in their base as well as their rate: COBS Bread charges on weekly sales, Coffee Time and Eggsmart on all sales per week, and Mr. Sub, Subway and Taco Bell on gross sales. Mr. Sub also lists an advertising fund contribution of 3% of gross sales, and Fatburger lists marketing at 3%. Ask for every recurring fee in writing, with the sales it is charged on.

Who the franchisor is looking for

Some food franchise opportunities are not open to a single-store buyer. Taco Bell Canada says it is currently seeking only area developer franchisees who have the capacity to build and manage multiple QSR units, and that single units are not offered at this time. COBS Bread says you will require 30% of the total investment in cash or liquid assets, plus working capital. A published requirement can change before you apply, so ask the franchisor for its current entry requirements in writing, and ask a lender separately what it would need from you.

Buying an existing food franchise

A food franchise for sale by its owner is a resale. COBS Bread publishes a separate cost range for an existing location. Alberta’s Franchises Act exempts a sale by a franchisee from the disclosure requirement if its conditions are met, including that the sale is for the franchisee’s own account and is not effected by or through the franchisor, and Ontario’s Arthur Wishart Act sets out a comparable exemption with its own conditions. Read what disclosure a franchise resale buyer gets, ask the franchisor what it requires to approve a new owner, and ask the seller for the location’s own sales records, the franchise agreement and the lease. Current franchises for sale are listed on Deavo.

Disclosure law and the brand pages

Where a province has a franchise disclosure law, the disclosure document is where the binding figures sit. Alberta’s Franchises Act requires a franchisor to give every prospective franchisee a copy of its disclosure document at least 14 days before the earlier of signing any agreement relating to the franchise or paying any consideration relating to it (a fully refundable deposit aside), subject to the Act’s exemptions. The Canadian Franchise Association lists Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan as provinces with franchise disclosure legislation, and notes important differences between them. Elsewhere, ask your lawyer which rules apply. Each brand page quotes the franchisor’s figures with their sources: COBS Bread, Coffee Time, Eggsmart, Fatburger, Mr. Sub, Subway and Taco Bell. Every other food brand is on Canadian franchise opportunities.