Does MOD Pizza Franchise in 2026? Yes, and It Is Refranchising

Yes, MOD Pizza franchises in 2026 and is refranchising. Its April 20, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) lists a $30,000 initial franchise fee, a $924,732 to $1,220,633 total investment for a new restaurant and a 5% Continuing Fee on weekly Revenues. Item 20 reports 449 US outlets as of fiscal 2025 year-end, including 81 franchised restaurants.

FranchiseFeast does not sell franchises and is not paid by any brand named here. The figures below come from MOD’s April 2026 FDD; dated website statements and trade reporting provide context rather than replace the disclosure document.

Does MOD Pizza franchise in 2026?

Yes. MOD’s FAQ, checked 2026-10-13, describes “company-owned stores and a select group of strategic franchises” and says it is “looking for additional partners.” Its April 2026 FDD Item 1 offers both a single-unit Franchise Agreement and an Area Development Agreement, subject to MOD Pizza’s consent, which it may withhold in its discretion. The area development commitment is at least two restaurants. An available agreement form is not a promise that MOD will approve a buyer or market.

The timeline: July 2024 acquisition and September 2024 refranchising push

Restaurant Dive reported on July 10, 2024 that Elite Restaurant Group acquired 100% of MOD’s equity. The article said the deal “will help Mod avoid bankruptcy” and reported MOD’s statement that it was considering all avenues to boost its capital structure. That is dated reporting about the transaction, not a statement that MOD filed bankruptcy.

The same report put MOD at 465 company-owned and 87 franchised outlets at the end of 2023 and attributed a more-than-540 systemwide count to MOD in January 2024, before subsequent closures. The FDD outlet tables below provide the later, consistently dated US counts.

Restaurant Dive reported on September 13, 2024 that National Franchise Sales was handling a nationwide effort to sell an unspecified number of MOD’s company-operated stores to franchisees. MOD already had franchised outlets before this refranchising push. Refranchising changes who operates an existing restaurant; it does not necessarily add a restaurant to the system.

What its site says vs what its FDD says

MOD’s own franchising page and FAQ, checked 2026-10-13, publish no fee or investment figures. The franchising page describes “a select group of innovators” with “substantial capital resources” and a preference for “a small network of partners.” It emphasizes experience building multi-unit restaurant organizations and invites inquiries from states without a MOD; where MOD already operates, it says a state growth plan is likely already in place.

What its site says	What its FDD says
The FAQ seeks additional partners; the franchising page emphasizes experienced multi-unit operators.	Item 1 offers single-unit and area development agreements, subject to MOD’s discretionary consent; area development requires at least two restaurants.
Neither page lists an initial fee or investment range.	Items 5 and 7: $30,000 initial fee; $924,732 to $1,220,633 total for a new restaurant.
Neither page lists royalty or marketing percentages.	Item 6: 5% Continuing Fee on weekly Revenues; 2% marketing fund, increasable to 3%; separate local marketing minimum.
The franchising page says MOD operates most stores, without a dated outlet table.	Item 20: 81 franchised and 368 company-owned US outlets as of fiscal 2025 year-end.

MOD Pizza franchise fee, investment and ongoing fees

The April 20, 2026 FDD is labeled here by its issue date, despite the source URL’s 2025 filename. Item 5 sets the initial franchise fee at $30,000. Item 7 estimates $924,732 to $1,220,633 to develop a new MOD restaurant, including the initial fee.

That new-build estimate is not an acquisition-price schedule. Item 7 says an existing affiliate-owned restaurant has a negotiated purchase price that may be above or below the estimate, and remodeling or upgrades may also be required.

Item 6 calls the royalty a Continuing Fee: 5% of weekly Revenues. Its definition describes total dollar sales, excluding sales, use or gross receipts taxes, gift card sales and a one-time sale of furniture, fixtures, equipment or inventory. The marketing fund contribution is 2% of weekly Revenues, which MOD may increase to 3% on 90 days’ written notice.

Local marketing is separate: Item 6 lists a minimum 2% of Revenues, or 1.5% of aggregate Revenues if the operator has more than one MOD restaurant. Where a local marketing association is required, contributions of up to 2% count toward the local marketing requirement. The fund contribution does not replace that local obligation. The FDD walkthrough explains how to read the fee schedule alongside the agreement.

How many MOD Pizza locations are there?

Item 20 of MOD’s April 2026 FDD prints the following US outlet counts at the end of each fiscal year. These are historical year-end figures, not an October 2026 live count.

As of fiscal year-end, per its April 2026 FDD	Franchised	Company-owned	Total US outlets
2023	87	465	552
2024	76	406	482
2025	81	368	449

The table expressly excludes two franchised restaurants in British Columbia, Canada. Item 20 also records 16 transfers from franchisees to new owners other than the franchisor in 2025, compared with zero in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, company-owned outlets included 24 closures, 24 sales to franchisees and 10 acquisitions from franchisees. The franchised-outlet table records one nonrenewal, 10 outlets reacquired by the franchisor and eight outlets that ceased operations for other reasons that year. These movements explain why a refranchising announcement alone cannot establish system growth.

What Items 3 and 4 disclose

Item 4 of MOD’s April 20, 2026 FDD discloses no bankruptcy required to be reported in that item. That disclosure is distinct from Restaurant Dive’s July 2024 reporting about avoiding a potential filing.

Item 3 discloses one pending Florida action involving allegations that MOD’s online ordering system failed to transmit a customer’s allergen information to a franchisee’s restaurant, resulting in her death. The FDD states that MOD and its affiliate denied the allegations and that the parties were in discovery. These are allegations and the procedural status as disclosed in April 2026, not findings of liability or a later case update.

Pizza franchise alternatives if MOD isn’t the fit

Blaze Pizza offers another fast-casual, build-your-own pizza comparison. Its franchising page, checked 2026-10-13, lists a $30,000 fee, a $757,000 to $1.297 million investment range, a 5% royalty on gross sales and a 2% national marketing contribution. It also lists $200,000-plus liquid capital, $500,000-plus net worth and 240-plus locations, with target markets across the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, South Central and West Coast and limited availability in California and Florida. The linked cost guide distinguishes those site statements from Blaze’s April 2026 FDD.

Pieology’s franchising FAQ, checked 2026-10-13, still says “IS PIEOLOGY CURRENTLY FRANCHISING? YES!” and does not mention the Chapter 11 filing. It lists an approximate $500,000 restaurant build cost and locations in five countries, without publishing a franchise fee, royalty rate or outlet count.

Per Franchise Times, Pieology’s franchisor, The Little Brown Box Pizza, filed Chapter 11 on December 8, 2025 in the Central District of California; the case is identified as 8:25-bk-13452-MH in the court record. Per the court docket (CourtListener), checked 2026-10-13, the court entered an April 30, 2026 order authorizing the sale of substantially all of the debtors’ assets (Doc 228) and an August 27, 2026 order dismissing the Chapter 11 cases (Doc 291). The court’s April 6, 2026 notice of sale (Doc 201) listed a proposed price of $525,000; that notice alone does not establish the final sale price. Franchise Times and Restaurant Dive reported 45 locations, including 29 franchised, at the time of the filing.

The FAQ and court record address different questions. Bankruptcy history is disclosed in FDD Item 4 under 16 CFR 436.5(d). The website’s invitation to inquire does not replace that disclosure or establish which assets or agreements a prospective franchisee would be buying into after the court orders.

For other formats and budgets, compare PizzaForno’s franchise or license structure, Your Pie franchise costs, the pizza franchise cost comparison and the cheapest pizza franchises. Compare the agreement, ongoing fees and outlet history alongside the initial investment.

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