Franchise Facts Report → compare → Subway vs Domino's Pizza
Subway vs Domino's Pizza
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 | Domino's Pizza | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $263,000 – $630,000 | $231,450 – $743,500 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $15,000 | — |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 8% | 5.5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | — | — |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 18,773 | 6,948 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -729 | +197 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | — |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 57 | disclosed |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2026 | 2026 |
Are Subway and Domino's Pizza the same company?
No — Subway and Domino's Pizza are franchised by separate companies. Subway's franchisor is DOCTOR'S ASSOCIATES LLC; Domino's Pizza's is Domino's Pizza Franchising 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 $263,000 – $630,000, against $231,450 – $743,500 for Domino's Pizza.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Neither Subway nor Domino's Pizza makes an Item 19 financial performance representation in its most recent FDD — neither franchisor discloses what units earn. Any earnings claim you hear for either brand is not backed by the disclosure document.
Closures & failure rate
Subway reports 18,773 franchised outlets, net change -729 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Domino's Pizza reports 6,948 franchised outlets, net change +197 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 57 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Domino's Pizza 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 Domino's Pizza — frequently asked
Are Subway and Domino's Pizza the same company?
No — Subway and Domino's Pizza are franchised by separate companies. Subway's franchisor is DOCTOR'S ASSOCIATES LLC; Domino's Pizza's is Domino's Pizza Franchising 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 Domino's Pizza?
Subway and Domino's Pizza are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (DOCTOR'S ASSOCIATES LLC and Domino's Pizza Franchising LLC). Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $263,000 – $630,000, against $231,450 – $743,500 for Domino's Pizza. Neither Subway nor Domino's Pizza makes an Item 19 financial performance representation in its most recent FDD — neither franchisor discloses what units earn. Any earnings claim you hear for either brand is not backed by the disclosure document.
Is Subway more profitable than Domino's Pizza?
Neither Subway nor Domino's Pizza makes an Item 19 financial performance representation in its most recent FDD — neither franchisor discloses what units earn. Any earnings claim you hear for either brand is not backed by the disclosure document.
Which is cheaper to open — Subway or Domino's Pizza?
Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $263,000 – $630,000, against $231,450 – $743,500 for Domino's Pizza.
Is Subway or Domino's Pizza growing faster?
Subway reports 18,773 franchised outlets, net change -729 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Domino's Pizza reports 6,948 franchised outlets, net change +197 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 2026, Domino's Pizza 2026). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.