How much is a Panda Express franchise? $510,000 – $3,268,000 to open, per its disclosure filings
$510,000 – $3,268,000
Opening a Panda Express franchise takes $510,000 – $3,268,000 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $25,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 8% on sales. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Panda Express cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $510,000 | $3,268,000 | $510,000 to $3,268,000 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $510,000 | $3,268,000 | $510,000 to $3,268,000 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Panda Express's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 8% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $510,000 – $3,268,000 range is derived from Panda Express's filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 8% on sales, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Panda Express's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Panda Express's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $510,000 — about 1.8× the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $25,000 — about 29% below the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Panda Express or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Panda Express for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Panda Express franchise fee?
$25,000, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Panda Express charge?
A royalty of 8% on sales, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.