Wild Birds Unlimited franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

4% · 4% of Gross Sales, paid monthly by the 10th of the following month

Marketing contribution

1% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$350 per month (includes $115/month MyWBU Store license fee), paid monthly with royalty

Other fees

Advertising Fund can rise from 1% up to 2% of Gross Sales on 60 days' notice; Annual Conference fee $400 (attendance required in year 1, then every other year); Daily Savings Club customer loyalty purchases $0-$100/month

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds for first 3 months: $53,375 - $63,375 (includes 3 part-time employees and payroll/HR services; franchisor recommends funds for longer than 3 months)

Fees sourceFDD p.14 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median annual Gross Sales; same-store sales change; cost of goods sold %; first-year advertising and wages %; Owner's Discretionary Cash Flow; Daily Savings Club data (U.S. franchised stores only)

Reporting period

Fiscal year 2025 (1/1/2025 - 12/31/2025), with 2023 and 2024 comparison

Sample

326 U.S. franchised stores open at least 24 months (310 stores for cost and cash flow schedules); Canadian stores and 5 small-format outlets excluded

Reported average

$852,550

Reported median

$780,955

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.54 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

340

Year-end outlets

344

Net change

+4

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

5

Terminations

1

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

8

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.65 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

46 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$315,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

23 loans

Historical charge-off share

2.33%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

1 / 43

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Wild Birds Unlimited franchise cost?

New franchise (first store): $231,635 to $376,392; Existing franchisee, additional new store: $205,135 to $346,892; Existing franchisee, conversion of independent store: $190,135 to $331,892 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Wild Birds Unlimited owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median annual Gross Sales; same-store sales change; cost of goods sold %; first-year advertising and wages %; Owner's Discretionary Cash Flow; Daily Savings Club data (U.S. franchised stores only). Sample: 326 U.S. franchised stores open at least 24 months (310 stores for cost and cash flow schedules); Canadian stores and 5 small-format outlets excluded. Period: Fiscal year 2025 (1/1/2025 - 12/31/2025), with 2023 and 2024 comparison.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.54 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Wild Birds Unlimited?

2.33%; numerator / denominator: 1 / 43. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $315,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 23 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗