Franchise Facts Report → compare → KFC (Traditional) vs Jack in the Box
KFC (Traditional) vs 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.
| KFC (Traditional) | Jack in the Box | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $1,207,575 – $2,805,000 | $3,820,000 – $8,088,000 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $45,000 | $50,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 4% | 5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | $3,151,000 | $1,986,186 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 3,404 | 0 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -154 | -173 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | — |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 0 | disclosed |
| Risk level our read | Medium | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2026 | 2026 |
Are KFC (Traditional) and Jack in the Box the same company?
No — KFC (Traditional) and Jack in the Box are franchised by separate companies. KFC (Traditional)'s franchisor is KFC US, LLC; 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
KFC (Traditional) is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $1,207,575 – $2,805,000, against $3,820,000 – $8,088,000 for Jack in the Box.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation. On the headline average unit revenue each discloses, KFC (Traditional) reports the higher figure ($3,151,000 vs $1,986,186). Revenue is not profit — the full report breaks out what each brand actually represents.
Closures & failure rate
KFC (Traditional) reports 3,404 franchised outlets, net change -154 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Jack in the Box reports 0 franchised outlets, net change -173 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
KFC (Traditional) discloses no franchisee-initiated proceedings in FDD Item 3. 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?
KFC (Traditional) vs Jack in the Box — frequently asked
Are KFC (Traditional) and Jack in the Box the same company?
No — KFC (Traditional) and Jack in the Box are franchised by separate companies. KFC (Traditional)'s franchisor is KFC US, LLC; 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 KFC (Traditional) and Jack in the Box?
KFC (Traditional) and Jack in the Box are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (KFC US, LLC and DIFFERENT RULES, LLC). KFC (Traditional) is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $1,207,575 – $2,805,000, against $3,820,000 – $8,088,000 for Jack in the Box. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation. On the headline average unit revenue each discloses, KFC (Traditional) reports the higher figure ($3,151,000 vs $1,986,186). Revenue is not profit — the full report breaks out what each brand actually represents.
Is KFC (Traditional) more profitable than Jack in the Box?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation. On the headline average unit revenue each discloses, KFC (Traditional) reports the higher figure ($3,151,000 vs $1,986,186). Revenue is not profit — the full report breaks out what each brand actually represents.
Which is cheaper to open — KFC (Traditional) or Jack in the Box?
KFC (Traditional) is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $1,207,575 – $2,805,000, against $3,820,000 – $8,088,000 for Jack in the Box.
Is KFC (Traditional) or Jack in the Box growing faster?
KFC (Traditional) reports 3,404 franchised outlets, net change -154 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Jack in the Box reports 0 franchised outlets, net change -173 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 (KFC (Traditional) 2026, Jack in the Box 2026). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.