Ace Hardware vs McDonald's
Head-to-Head Franchise Comparison

Based on FranchiseStack.ai's analysis of 192+ franchise FDD filings — side-by-side comparison of investment costs, fees, unit economics, and franchisee satisfaction.

Retail & Services Food & Restaurant Real Data Updated 2026 Not Investment Advice
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AH

Ace Hardware

Retail & Services
$302K – $2.2M
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VS
M

McDonald's

Food & Restaurant
$1.3M – $2.3M
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Investment Range
$302K – $2.2M
vs McDonald's
$1.3M – $2.3M
Royalty + Ad Fund
3.0%
vs McDonald's
8.0%
Franchisee Rating
82/100
vs McDonald's
72/100

What's Inside This Report

  • FDD Item analysis — Items 5, 7, 19, 20 & 21 in plain English
  • Risk assessment — failure rate, turnover, fee burden, territory, litigation
  • 5-year ROI model — payback timeline & assumptions
  • Red flags — auto-detected from each brand's FDD data
  • Verdict framework — which buyer profile fits each brand
  • PDF export — yours forever, for due-diligence folders
Preview · 3 of 30+ metrics
MetricAce HardwareMcDonald's
Investment Range$302K – $2.2M$1.3M – $2.3M
Total Royalty + Ad Fund3.0%8.0%
Avg Unit Revenue (AUV)$2.2M$3.7M

Headline Comparison — 8 Dimensions

Independent FDD-side data both brands publish. Updated monthly from franchise disclosure documents. Unlock the full 22-row analyst report (and FDD risk flags + 5-year ROI projections) below.

Dimension Ace Hardware McDonald's
Initial Investment Range $302K – $2.2M $1.3M – $2.3M
Royalty Rate (+ Ad Fund) 0.0% royalty + 3.0% ad fund 4.0% royalty + 4.0% ad fund
FDD Item 19 AUV $2.2M $3.7M
Territory Exclusivity Non-exclusive territory (FDD Item 12) Non-exclusive territory (FDD Item 12)
Training Weeks 2 weeks 9 weeks
Financing Options SBA loan eligible up to $5M via 7(a) program SBA loan eligible up to $5M via 7(a) program
Owner Reviews 82/100 franchisee satisfaction — Verified owner reviews → 72/100 franchisee satisfaction — Verified owner reviews →
Operating Model Owner-operator Owner-operator

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