How much does a Circle K franchise cost?
Opening a Circle K franchise takes a total initial investment of $1,433,500 to $2,714,650, according to the brand's 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median gross sales for the year ending on 4/30/2023 of $1,309,175 across 508 outlets.
Circle K franchises convenience stores that may include a Motor Fuel Business and/or Branded Business. Category: Retail.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Circle K franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2023 FDD. The total is $1,433,500 to $2,714,650. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction, Remodeling, and Leasehold Improvements ($850,000 to $1,500,000), Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment ($400,000 to $800,000), and Merchandise Inventory ($60,000 to $100,000). Together they make up about 88% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $0 to $25,000.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $0 | $25,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Regional In-Store Training Fee2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $3,500 | $15,500 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Construction, Remodeling, and Leasehold Improvements2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $850,000 | $1,500,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Other Site Development Costs, including Site Development Fee2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $40,000 | $100,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $400,000 | $800,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| EPOS and Computer Systems2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $40,000 | $50,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Network Fee (3 months)2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $0 | $150 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Signs2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $15,000 | $45,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Security Deposits and Licenses and Permits (excluding impact fees)2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $2,000 | $10,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Utility Deposits2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $1,500 | $5,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Vendor Deposits2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $0 | $16,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Merchandise Inventory2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $60,000 | $100,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Professional Fees2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $1,000 | $5,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Insurance2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $4,500 | $12,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Grand Opening Costs2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Additional Funds (3 months)2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $10,000 | $20,000 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Total estimated initial investment2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29-30 | $1,433,500 | $2,714,650 | 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29-30 |
Source Circle K, 2023 FDD, Item 7, p. 29-30, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 19
What Circle K franchisees actually report earning
Median Gross Sales for the Year Ending on 4/30/2023
$1,309,175
Circle K's 2023 FDD, Item 19, for the Year Ending on 4/30/2023. Basis: Reporting Franchised Stores.
Sample size: 508 outlets. The FDD also reports average gross sales for the year ending on 4/30/2023 of $1,378,113. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- 42 franchised Circle K Stores that opened during the 12-month period ended April 30, 2023 and therefore did not report data for the entire 12-month period ending April 30, 2023.
- 52 franchised Circle K Stores that did not report Gross Sales data for all months of the fiscal year as a result of temporary closures due to the impact of a natural disaster.
- Additional 37 franchised Circle K Stores that failed to report complete Merchandise Sales data for the entire 12-month period.
- 39 franchised Circle K Stores that closed during the 12-month period ending April 30, 2023.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Circle K outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Circle K, 2023 FDD, Item 19, p. 90-91, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 20
How many Circle K outlets there are, and how many closed
Circle K ended 2023 with 639 franchised outlets and 5,301 company-owned outlets. In that year 42 franchised outlets opened and 39 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2021 through 2023, Circle K opened 153 franchised outlets and 126 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 24, from 615 to 639 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 62 were terminated, 62 were not renewed, and 2 closed for other reasons. Those openings and departures do not add up to that change, because the FDD's own Item 20 row for 2021 does not add up either. We publish the franchisor's figures exactly as printed; see the note under the table below.
On average, about 6.6% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 15.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 636 | 42 | 27 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 639 | 2023 FDD, Item 20, p. 105 |
| 2022 | 648 | 50 | 32 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 636 | 2023 FDD, Item 20, p. 105 |
| 2021 | 615 | 61 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 6481 | 2023 FDD, Item 20, p. 105 |
Source Circle K, 2023 FDD, Item 20, p. 105, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Compare
How Circle K compares with other Retail franchises
Measured against the 39 Retail franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Circle K's estimated range is $2,074,075. It costs more to open than 97% of Retail franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 6.6% for Circle K. That is higher than 61% of the 37 Retail franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Circle K's franchised system grew 3.9%. The typical Retail franchise here shrank 1.2%.
- Earnings disclosure. 25 of the 39 Retail franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Circle K is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Retail franchise side by side.
Alert me when Circle K files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you Circle K's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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