How much does a Moe’s Southwest Grill franchise cost?
Opening a Moe’s Southwest Grill franchise takes a total initial investment of $644,425 to $1,968,450, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median net sales of $1,138,698 across 463 outlets.
Moe’s Southwest Grill franchises Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Moe’s Southwest Grill franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $644,425 to $1,968,450. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction and Build Out Costs – Freestanding ($259,700 to $1,140,000), Construction and Build Out Costs – Inline and Endcap ($259,700 to $573,200), and Equipment Package ($168,000 to $285,300).
The initial franchise fee is $35,500.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $35,500 | $35,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Construction and Build Out Costs – Inline and Endcap2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $259,700 | $573,200 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Construction and Build Out Costs – Freestanding2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $259,700 | $1,140,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Permitting2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $2,300 | $17,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Equipment Package2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $168,000 | $285,300 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Millwork2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $21,000 | $61,800 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Furniture2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $15,000 | $30,100 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Menu Board, Graphics and Interior Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $7,500 | $10,100 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Exterior Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $13,900 | $35,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Computer System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 | $13,000 | $50,100 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33 |
| Smallwares2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $9,800 | $22,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| TV/ | $2,400 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Architect/ | $9,800 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Rent2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $4,500 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Grand Opening Marketing2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $25,000 | $35,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Legal and Accounting Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $3,500 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $1,425 | $7,550 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Misc. Opening Costs/ | $2,500 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Security Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $1,500 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Management Training Program Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $0 | $7,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Travel and Living Expenses during Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $8,100 | $11,700 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| On-Site Training Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $0 | $18,300 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Opening Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $15,000 | $35,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 | $25,000 | $53,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 34 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33-34 | $644,425 | $1,968,450 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33-34 |
About this total: The FDD prints two alternative totals: “Total Initial Investment – Endcap and Inline” of $644,425 to $1,401,650 and “Total Initial Investment – Freestanding” of $644,425 to $1,968,450. The construction and build out cost lines are alternative location estimates.
Source Moe’s Southwest Grill, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 33-34, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 19
What Moe’s Southwest Grill franchisees actually report earning
Median Net Sales
$1,138,698
Moe’s Southwest Grill's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the Fiscal Year 2025 (the fiscal year ended December 28, 2025). Basis: Certain Traditional Franchises that were eligible franchises in Fiscal Year 2025.
Sample size: 463 outlets. The FDD also reports average net sales of $1,184,316. 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
- The Item 19 excludes franchised Restaurants located in non-traditional locations, including airports, colleges, convenience stores, government buildings, hospitals, hotels, lifestyle centers, malls, military bases, office building interiors, theme parks, transit hubs, and travel plazas.
- The Item 19 excludes Traditional Franchises that are co-branded with another brand.
- The Item 19 excludes affiliate-owned Restaurants.
- The Item 19 excludes Traditional Franchises that were not eligible franchises in Fiscal Year 2025.
- The table does not include 11 Traditional Franchises that did not report sales in all 52 weeks of Fiscal Year 2025, including 5 Traditional Franchises that opened during Fiscal Year 2025.
- The table does not include 33 Traditional Franchises that permanently closed during Fiscal Year 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Moe’s Southwest Grill outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Moe’s Southwest Grill, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 74, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 20
How many Moe’s Southwest Grill outlets there are, and how many closed
Moe’s Southwest Grill ended 2025 with 563 franchised outlets and 5 company-owned outlets. In that year 15 franchised outlets opened and 43 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Moe’s Southwest Grill opened 42 franchised outlets and 115 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 73, from 636 to 563 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 102 were terminated, 8 were not renewed, and 5 were bought back by the franchisor.
On average, about 6.3% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 16.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 591 | 15 | 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 563 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80 |
| 2024 | 606 | 15 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 591 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80 |
| 2023 | 636 | 12 | 37 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 606 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80 |
Source Moe’s Southwest Grill, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 80, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Compare
How Moe’s Southwest Grill compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Moe’s Southwest Grill's estimated range is $1,306,438. It costs more to open than 81% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 6.3% for Moe’s Southwest Grill. That is higher than 54% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Moe’s Southwest Grill's franchised system shrank 11%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Moe’s Southwest Grill 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 Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Moe’s Southwest Grill 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 Moe’s Southwest Grill's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
You get a confirmation email right away, then one email per new filing for the brands you ask about, and nothing else. No sharing, no selling, unsubscribe any time.