Franchise Facts Report → brands → Fatburger
Fatburger franchise — is it worth it?
High risk Significant turnover
What Fatburger's most recent Franchise Disclosure Document says about the money, the litigation, and the franchisee churn — before you wire a five- or six-figure franchise fee.
Everything below is free, read straight off Fatburger's registered filing, with where the numbers land against category peers. Weighing Fatburger against other options? Get a free shortlist of franchises that fit your budget.
Figures above are as disclosed in Fatburger's most recent FDD (registered 2025). Source: Minnesota Dept. of Commerce — CARDS franchise registrations · filing 35447-202603-03 — check it yourself. See every other Minnesota-registered franchise.
Considering Fatburger? See what else fits your budget
Tell us your budget and the industries you're open to. We'll match you with 5–10 franchises whose own FDDs fit — ranked by earnings disclosure, growth and closure rate — and email you the list. Fatburger will be on it if it fits.
Fatburger franchise profit — what the FDD discloses
Plainly: Fatburger does not disclose franchise profit or revenue. Its most recent FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so there is no franchisor-backed earnings figure for Fatburger — any number quoted elsewhere is an estimate, not a disclosure. The absence is itself worth weighing; the fees, litigation and outlet churn Fatburger's FDD does contain are on this page. For brands that put earnings on paper, see Other franchises with disclosed Item 19 earnings.
Fatburger lawsuits & legal history (FDD Item 3)
Fatburger's most recently filed Franchise Disclosure Document (2025) does disclose legal proceedings in Item 3 . Item 3 is the item where a franchisor must put its material legal history on the record. Two things it is not: it covers the franchisor and its predecessors, parents and affiliates, so a disclosed case is not necessarily a suit against Fatburger itself; and a disclosure is a fact, not a finding of wrongdoing — most entries are contract disputes with former franchisees, which every large system accumulates. Item 3 of the source FDD describes each case.
Fatburger closures & failure rate
Before you sign, Fatburger will hand you a list of current owners to call as references — and they choose who's on that list. It won't include the owners who quit, got bought out, or were forced out last year. The FDD does report that number, even though the reference list leaves those people off. Below is what Fatburger's most recent filing shows, and whether it's normal for a franchise of this kind.
The closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate is Item 20 — outlet openings, closures, terminations and non-renewals, reported by the franchisor. Fatburger's latest tables show significant franchisee turnover. Its franchised-outlet closure rate — closures, terminations and non-renewals against outlets — is 15.1%. Net franchised outlets moved -9 to 177 in the latest reported year.
Who owns Fatburger?
Fatburger's franchise is offered by FATBURGER NORTH AMERICA, INC. — the franchisor named on the cover of its most recently filed Franchise Disclosure Document (2025), and the entity a franchisee actually signs with. That name comes straight off the filing at MN CARDS; it identifies the franchisor, not necessarily the ultimate parent company behind it.
Compare Fatburger head-to-head
Franchises at a similar investment level at a similar investment level
Anyone weighing Fatburger is really weighing it against the other brands their money could go into. These are the closest by total initial investment (FDD Item 7), each with its own FDD-based page.
Fatburger franchise — frequently asked
Who owns Fatburger — who is the franchisor?
Fatburger's most recently filed FDD (2025) names FATBURGER NORTH AMERICA, INC. as the franchisor — the entity you would actually sign the franchise agreement with, as stated on the disclosure document itself. A registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent company.
How much does a Fatburger franchise cost?
Fatburger's most recently filed FDD (Item 7) puts the total estimated initial investment at $36,500 – $88,000, with an initial franchise fee of $50,000 and a 6% royalty. That price is the franchisor's own estimate of what it takes to open, not a quote. Against category peers it sits in the top quartile (median $235,015).
How much profit does a Fatburger franchise make?
Fatburger makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so there is no franchisor-disclosed revenue or profit figure for Fatburger at all — and profit would never be disclosed even where earnings are, because it depends on your rent, labor and how you operate. Any profit figure quoted elsewhere is an estimate, not a disclosure.
Does Fatburger disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
No — Fatburger's most recent FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Its absence is worth weighing.
Are there lawsuits against Fatburger?
Fatburger's most recently filed FDD (2025) discloses legal proceedings in Item 3. Item 3 covers the franchisor, its predecessors, parents and affiliates — so a disclosed case is not necessarily a suit against Fatburger itself, and a disclosure is not a finding of wrongdoing.
Is Fatburger a good franchise to buy?
Nobody can answer that from Fatburger's numbers alone — it comes down to how its investment, earnings, litigation and franchisee churn stack up against category peers and against your own budget. Our read on this filing is high risk. Every figure behind that read is on this page for free. If you're comparing options, the free shortlist on this page matches you with 5–10 franchises that fit your budget and industry.
Get a free email when something changes on Fatburger or this category: a new FDD registration, a new lawsuit, an outlet count that shifts, or Item 19 earnings going from undisclosed to disclosed. Pulled straight from the same state registries this page is built on.