Owning a McDonald's franchise can be a lucrative business, but it requires a lot of cash. The average McDonald's restaurant generates $2.5 million in sales annually, making it the second-highest-grossing chain in the US by sales per unit behind Chick-fil-A, according to QSR magazine. But to open a single restaurant, the company requires that potential franchisees have liquid assets of at least $750,000. Startup costs, which include construction and equipment expenses, average between $955,708 and $2.3 million, according to McDonald's.