McAlister's Deli
Food & Beverage · Fast-Casual Restaurants
- Active units
- 533
- Royalty
- 5.0%
Franchised, year-end 2025
of weekly Net Sales
About McAlister's Deli
McAlister's Deli is known for serving America's favorite sandwiches, soups, salads, and spuds, along with a range of other delicious options. Whether you dine in, order catering, or grab a meal to go, McAlister's guarantees a satisfying culinary experience combined with warm, hometown hospitality. Our deli restaurant and sandwich shop offers a diverse menu with something for everyone. From craveable classics to fresh favorites, our sandwiches are sure to please. If you can't decide on just one item, choose any two halves and create your perfect plate. We also cater to dietary needs, offering a vegetarian and gluten-sensitive guide to easily navigate our menu. Our passionberry tea, flavored with passionfruit syrup and strawberry purée, is a must-try. For the convenience of our customers, we provide pickup and delivery services, ensuring that you can enjoy our food wherever you are. Join the McAlister's family and experience our current favorites like the McAlister's Club or the Spud Max™. Stay connected by signing up for personalized and exclusive offers through our rewards program. Come and indulge in the McAlister's Deli experience today!.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$36k
- Multi-Unit Addendum
If you sign multiple Franchise Agreements at the same time, franchisor may offer a reduced Initial Franchise Fee for each Restaurant developed; all fees due at signing.
- Discretionary reductions
Franchisor may reduce or allow part of the fee to be applied to improvements/marketing in first 12 months; case-by-case.
- Brand fund
2.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
0.8% of Net Sales
- Footprint
3,100 – 3,500 sq ft
- Veteran discount
For qualifying veterans or members of the Armed Forces, the Initial Franchise Fee is $20,000.
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing); filings on file: 2024, 2025, 2026.
Growth
- Total locations533
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings25
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate1.7%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR2.6%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio1.6×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)$1.4M
Includes all revenues generated by a Restaurant, excluding gift card initial sales/reloads, discounts, refunded sales, discounted portion of employee meals, sa…
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)$2.2M
Includes all revenues generated by a Restaurant, excluding gift card initial sales/reloads, discounts, refunded sales, discounted portion of employee meals, sa…
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate-3.9%
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$1.7M
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate5.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 397 of 511 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.