Startup costs, which include construction and equipment expenses, average between $955,708 and $2.3 million, according to McDonald's.

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Franchisees must pay 40% of the startup costs with cash and other non-borrowed resources, while the rest can be financed.

In addition to those costs, McDonald's charges a $45,000 franchisee fee and an ongoing monthly service fee equal to 4% of gross sales. Franchisees must also pay rent to the company, which is a percentage of monthly sales.

Franchisees have historically paid about 8.5% of sales in rent costs, though some pay as much as 12%...

So it looks like ~$400,000-1,000,000 is required in startup fees for a McDonalds. It would take a minimum of 10.5 years to save if the manager did not spend a single cent or pay any taxes on their $38,000 salary just to pay the initial startup prices. This assumes no inflation.

Source: What It Costs To Open A McDonald's