The Best Fast Food Franchises to Buy in 2021

Interest in franchising has grown since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the restaurant industry as a whole may be suffering, the fast food industry continues to thrive as takeout and to-go ordering becomes the new standard.

Known for fast-service and limited customer contact, fast food franchises have proven to be recession-resistant as the pandemic and high unemployment wear on. The perks of immediate brand recognition and quick startup timelines can make owning a fast food franchise an extremely lucrative venture.

Here are 10 of our favorite fast food franchises for 2021:

• Startup costs: $170,400–$377,355

• Units: 10+

• Startup costs: $254,000–$1.4 million

• Units: 859

• Startup costs: $200,000–$1.7 million

• Units: 13,125

• Startup costs: $1.4–$2.8 million

• Units: 24,394

• Units: 3,377

• Startup costs: $842,000–$1.7 million

• Startup costs: $1.2–$3.5 million

• Units: 3,525

• Startup costs: $571,000–$3 million

• Units: 7,400

• Startup costs: $262,663–$490,649

• Units: 70

• Startup costs: $314,985

• Units: Nearly 100