The standard franchise fee in the U.S. and Canada is $50,000 for a franchise agreement with a term of 20 years. This fee is used to help defray some of the costs to Wendy’s of providing technical assistance in the development of each Wendy’s restaurant and in providing other assistance associated with the opening of the restaurant.   Prospective franchisees also pay an initial Application Fee of $5,000 to help defray some of the costs of the initial orientation and processing of the application, along with a $500 background investigation fee. These fees do not include any development or start up costs for the restaurant. There is no additional fee for training, but the franchisee may incur travel expenses or some minor fees for certain specific classes.