Start a Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #131 Ranked #165 last year

Initial investment: $224K - $379K

Units as of 2024: 362 3.4% over 3 years

In 1981, Jim Carpenter opened the first Wild Birds Unlimited with a small inheritance and a passion for backyard bird feeding. In 1983, he began franchising. To provide people with what they need to enjoy their own backyard bird feeding hobby, he made sure to sell only the best products. Over three decades later, the company still stands by selling quality and affordable bird food, nest boxes, bird feeders, and more at its stores.

For decades, Wild Birds Unlimited has aimed to bring together humans and nature under the same blue sky. With over 300 locations in the U.S. and more than 20 in Canada, the Wild Birds Unlimited name has become synonymous with backyard bird feeding.

Why You May Want to Start a Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise

Of course, you may want to consider opening a Wild Birds Unlimited if you are a person who shares the same hobby as the company's founder. But you may also want to consider the company's culture and values. Wild Birds Unlimited looks for hard-working, ethical individuals. They value diversity and environmentally sustainable products. They also support local bird and natural wildlife conservation groups and education.

An ideal franchisee is enthusiastic and committed to excellence. They are also committed to helping their community and spreading the joy of backyard bird feeding—and franchisees typically love birds.

Wild Birds Unlimited will train franchisees in ways that the company has found to make a successful business and assign them a business coach for their first year in operation. The company will even provide franchisees with marketing and IT support.

What Might Make a Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise a Good Choice?

Outside of sitting comfortably in a niche market, Wild Birds Unlimited takes advantage of a large global hobby. Wild Birds Unlimited accepts online orders connected to franchisees' stores and has its own product line. This private merchandise line includes custom seed blends, feeders, and hardware.

If you're interested in opening a Wild Birds Unlimited, make sure you can cover the initial startup fees, including the franchise fee. You'll also want to make sure you're ready for any additional ongoing fees. These fees will include royalty fees and advertising fees.

How Do You Open a Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise?

Location is a huge consideration. Try to locate high-traffic areas connected to malls or grocery stores. Being in a high-visibility location may also make your store more appealing.

As you make your decision to franchise with Wild Birds Unlimited, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. The company's discovery process will help you do this, too. Research the brand and your local area to see if a franchise would do well in your community. If you are in an area with other feed and seed stores, too much competition may not allow for the most possible growth.

Overall, if the company finds you a good fit, you can soon open your doors—and other people's doors—to the world of backyard bird feeding.

Company Overview

About Wild Birds Unlimited

Industry	Pets
Related Categories	Pet Stores, Miscellaneous Retail Businesses
Founded	1981
Parent Company	Wild Birds Unlimited Inc.
Leadership	Paul Pickett, CDO/EVP of Franchising
Corporate Address	11711 N. College Ave., #146 Carmel, IN 46032
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1983 (42 years)
# of employees at HQ	52
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	362 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$40,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$224,273 - $379,309
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$400,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$40,000 - $50,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	15% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	4%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	Wild Birds Unlimited offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory
Third Party Financing	Wild Birds Unlimited has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	45 hours
Classroom Training	74 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	2-4
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes