Franchise Facts Report → compare → Subway vs Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®
Subway vs Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®
Two quick-service restaurant franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Subway | Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $238,623 – $536,745 | $3,531,000 – $5,523,200 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $15,000 | $50,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 8% | 5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | — | $1,996,940 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 20,133 | 2,043 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -443 | +9 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | — |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 89 | disclosed |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2024 |
Are Subway and Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® the same company?
No — Subway and Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® are franchised by separate companies. Subway's franchisor is Doctor's Associates LLC; Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®'s is Different Rules, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $238,623 – $536,745, against $3,531,000 – $5,523,200 for Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,996,940), while Subway's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Subway reports 20,133 franchised outlets, net change -443 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® reports 2,043 franchised outlets, net change +9 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against quick-service restaurant medians.
Litigation
Subway discloses 89 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (case detail in the full report).
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against quick-service restaurant peers.
Only looking at one of them?
Subway vs Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® — frequently asked
Are Subway and Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® the same company?
No — Subway and Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® are franchised by separate companies. Subway's franchisor is Doctor's Associates LLC; Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®'s is Different Rules, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Subway and Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®?
Subway and Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (Doctor's Associates LLC and Different Rules, LLC). Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $238,623 – $536,745, against $3,531,000 – $5,523,200 for Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®. Only Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,996,940), while Subway's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Subway more profitable than Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®?
Only Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,996,940), while Subway's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Subway or Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®?
Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $238,623 – $536,745, against $3,531,000 – $5,523,200 for Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box®.
Is Subway or Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® growing faster?
Subway reports 20,133 franchised outlets, net change -443 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® reports 2,043 franchised outlets, net change +9 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Quick-service restaurant rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Subway 2024, Jack in the Box | Jack in the Box® 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.