McDonald’s franchise in Poland: a year of preparation and PLN 2 million in own funds

Around 12 months of preparation, including roughly nine months of in-restaurant training, and at least PLN 2 million in unencumbered own funds — these are some of the requirements for becoming a McDonald’s franchisee in Poland. The process was outlined in an article published by Polish news website Interia on 25 September 2026. For those considering joining the franchise network, this means assessing not only their financial resources but also the time needed to prepare.

Around a year for selection and preparation

According to the McDonald’s information cited by Interia, the process takes around 12 months. The stages before training include an application, meetings and financial checks. It is therefore not simply a matter of expressing interest in the brand and demonstrating access to capital. The route described allows time both to assess candidates and to prepare them to run a restaurant.

The word “around” matters here. The stated duration should be understood as an estimate, not a guaranteed timetable for every candidate. The available account does not specify exactly how long individual meetings or the financial checks take. Nor does it provide a basis for setting a firm opening date for someone who is only just applying.

From a career-planning perspective, a year of preparation is a significant commitment. Prospective franchisees should consider this timescale alongside their existing responsibilities. Meeting the capital requirement does not remove the need to devote the time set out in the preparation process.

Nine months of in-restaurant training

Around nine months of the overall process are spent training in a restaurant. This is the longest specified stage, accounting for roughly three-quarters of the stated one-year period. The route to becoming a franchisee therefore places considerable emphasis on preparation in the setting where the business will eventually be run.

However, the information provided does not include a detailed training programme. It does not specify training hours, how sessions are organised or how progress is assessed. It would therefore be wrong to infer exactly which tasks candidates perform or what their weekly schedules look like. What is stated is that the in-restaurant training stage lasts around nine months.

For prospective applicants, this is a useful starting point for a conversation with the franchisor. Before making a decision, it is worth asking about the availability required, the training location and whether preparation can be combined with an existing job. These are points to clarify, rather than conditions confirmed in the cited article. Their importance stems from the length of the training stage, which candidates need to factor into their plans.

The financial minimum is not the total investment cost

McDonald’s requires candidates to have at least PLN 2 million in unencumbered own funds. Every part of that wording matters: it is a minimum, the funds must be the candidate’s own, and they must be unencumbered. Quoting the PLN 2 million figure without those qualifications would not accurately convey the requirement.

Nor should this threshold be equated with the full cost of opening a restaurant. The cited account sets out a requirement relating to the candidate’s financial resources, but does not provide a complete investment budget. It also gives no breakdown of costs, fees or expected profitability. It is therefore not possible to calculate a reliable payback period or estimate a franchisee’s future earnings from this information.

Financial checks are one of the stages before training. Candidates should therefore separate two questions: whether they meet the stated entry requirement, and what their total financial commitments would be when running a restaurant. Answering the first does not automatically resolve the second. The evidence needed to document those funds and the full extent of the commitments remain matters to clarify directly with McDonald’s.

Education and management experience also matter

The requirements listed also include a higher education qualification and management experience. Capital is therefore not the only stated criterion. The route described combines requirements relating to a candidate’s existing qualifications and experience with subsequent months of in-restaurant training.

The available information does not specify a required field of study or a minimum number of years of experience. Nor does it state how large a team candidates should previously have managed. There is therefore no basis for limiting suitable applicants to a particular profession or attributing additional recruitment criteria to the brand.

For those exploring Poland’s franchise market, this is a concrete example of how extensive the process of joining a brand can be. It does not, however, justify applying McDonald’s requirements to other networks. In this case, three important areas are confirmed: financial resources, education and experience, and readiness to undertake a lengthy preparation process.

Practical takeaway: before applying, assess your financial position and the time you can commit, then confirm the details of selection, training and the full costs of the franchise arrangement with McDonald’s.