Burger King vs Checkers Drive-In Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Burger King vs Checkers Drive-In including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Burger King Franchise	Checkers Drive-In Franchise
Investment	$333,100 - $3,398,600	$259,000 - $1,431,000
Franchise Fee	$50,000	$30,000
Royalty Fee	4.5%	4%
Advertising Fee	4%	4.5%
Year Founded	1954	1986
Year Franchised	1961	1989
Term Of Agreement	20 years	20 years
Term Of Agreement	20 years	20 years
Renewal Fee	$50K	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Burger King Franchise	Checkers Drive-In Franchise
Experience	Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills	Industry experience General business experience
Financing Options
	Burger King Franchise	Checkers Drive-In Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/No	No/Yes
Start-up Costs	No/No	No/Yes
Equipment	No/No	No/Yes
Inventory	No/No	No/Yes
Receivables	No/No	No/Yes
Payroll	No/No	No/Yes
Training & Support
	Burger King Franchise	Checkers Drive-In Franchise
Training	Before the opening of the Restaurant, franchisees must successfully complete the franchisor's training program. The training program is held in Miami, Florida or other locations specified by the franchisor. In-Restaurant Training will be held in various Restaurant locations that have been authorized as Training Restaurants. The franchisor may require additional training programs for individual Owner/Operators or Managing Directors to implement current operations, standards, and procedures and to facilitate the growth and changes of the franchisee. The franchisor also makes available and sometimes requires periodic workshops and seminars for managers, which include management courses and updating of operational skills. The franchisor will provide Pre-opening and Restaurant opening assistance as it deems appropriate. The franchisor also provides continuing operations training programs, which franchisees (as an Operating Partner, Managing Director, Director of Operations, or Managing Owner, as applicable) may be required to attend. For certain training courses, franchisees must pay a course or materials fee to the franchisor or third parties. The franchisor may make changes and revisions to the training program, locations or materials at any time.	On-The-Job Training: 160-220 hours Classroom Training: 32-40 hours Additional Training: In training restaurant
Support	Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations	Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing	Co-op advertising, National media, Regional advertising	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising
Operations	-	-
Expansion Plans
	Burger King Franchise	Checkers Drive-In Franchise
US Expansion	-	Yes
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	Yes	Yes

Company Overviews

About Burger King

In 1954, James McLamore and David Edgerton opened the first Burger King restaurant in Miami; selling 18 cent broiled hamburgers and milkshakes. Three years later, the company's signature Whopper was introduced, selling for 37 cents a piece. Today Burger King restaurants serve chicken nuggets, salads, a breakfast menu and kids meals. In 1998, the company opened its 10,000th location in Sydney, Australia.

The franchise granted can be operated at one of three locations and facility types:

Institutional Locations: “Institutional locations” include government buildings and facilities, medical facilities, airports, train and bus stations, sports facilities, factories, corporate campuses, turnpikes, limited access toll roads, theme parks, zoos and educational facilities.
Traditional Burger King Restaurant Facility: A self-contained, full size Burger King Restaurant which is located and operated on a site as a freestanding building or within another building structure such as a shopping mall. A Traditional Burger King Restaurant does not share any common areas with any other businesses and serves the standard approved menu for Burger King Restaurants.
Non-Traditional Burger King Facility: A Burger King Restaurant may be located at a site which includes other businesses, such as retail, food service, gas stations, convenience stores, other franchised businesses or restaurants or other similar facilities.

#37 in Canada's top franchises.

About Checkers Drive-In

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. is the largest double drive-thru restaurant chain in the United States. Checkers develops, produces, owns, operates, and franchises quick service “double drive-thru” restaurants under the two brand names “Checkers" and “Rally’s Hamburgers". The restaurants are designed to provide fast and efficient automobile-oriented service and appeal to guests of all ages. The double drive-thru concept allows Checkers' and Rally’s Hamburgers to capitalize on the fact that approximately fifty percent of all quick-service food business is drive-thru. Guests can also enjoy a 1950’s flashback with walk-up ordering and outdoor dining in the outside picnic area at most locations.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Checkers Restaurant (excluding real estate and related costs) is: $780,000 to $1,431,000 for a new modular design single drive-thru restaurant; $320,500 to $787,000 for a site built, conversion or used modular drive-thru restaurant; $259,700 to $648,000 for an endcap strip-center and gas/convenience restaurant; and $254,000 to $514,000 for a Non-Traditional, Walmart or in-line restaurant in a high-density market. This includes $10,000 to $50,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate, plus $10,000 for each additional restaurant that you agree to develop under a development agreement.