Subway vs Jersey Mike's

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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https://fddiq.com/compare/subway-vs-jersey-mike-s
Subway
QSR
Investment
$263K to $630K
Franchise fee
$15,000
Item 19 status
No Item 19
Units
20,133
Jersey Mike's
QSR
Investment
$186K to $1.4M
Franchise fee
$20,000
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
2,647
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Jersey Mike's
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans right
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricSubwayJersey Mike's
Franchise Fee
$15,000$20,000
Min Investment
$263K$186K
Max Investment
$630K$1.4M
Royalty Rate
8.0%6.5%
Ad Fund Rate
4.5%1.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
12.5%7.5%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
N/A$1.3M
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
N/A8.8%
Payback Period
N/A11.3 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
N/A1.60x
Franchised Units
20,1332,647
1-Year Net Unit Change
-631308
Net Unit Growth Rate
-3.1%13.0%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
3.0%N/A
SBA Default Rate
8.1%1.8%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
1,219462
Average SBA Loan Size
$286K$402K
Item 19 Status
No Item 19Cost Data Only
Has Item 19
No✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
85100

What stands out

  • Subway opens at $263K to $630K, while Jersey Mike's ranges from $186K to $1.4M.
  • Subway shows no Item 19 disclosure; Jersey Mike's shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • Subway has 20,133 franchised units versus 2,647 for Jersey Mike's.

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Last updated: April 2026