Hamburger Mary's vs Carl's Jr Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Hamburger Mary's vs Carl's Jr including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Hamburger Mary's Franchise	Carl's Jr Franchise
Investment	$417,150 - $955,500	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000
Franchise Fee	$50,000	$25,000 - $35,000
Royalty Fee	4% (on first $150K monthly gross), 3% (on monthly gross above $150K)	4%
Advertising Fee	-	6%
Year Founded	1972	1945
Year Franchised	1999	1984
Term Of Agreement	5 years	20 years
Term Of Agreement	5 years	20 years
Renewal Fee	-	Varies
Business Experience Requirements
	Hamburger Mary's Franchise	Carl's Jr Franchise
Experience	Industry experience One partner must have bar/restaurant management experience	Industry experience General business experience Preferable operational experience in a restaurant, but will consider people who have owned their own business
Financing Options
	Hamburger Mary's Franchise	Carl's Jr Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/No	No/No
Start-up Costs	No/Yes	No/No
Equipment	No/Yes	No/No
Inventory	No/Yes	No/No
Receivables	No/No	No/No
Payroll	No/Yes	No/No
Training & Support
	Hamburger Mary's Franchise	Carl's Jr Franchise
Training	-	Available at franchisee's location, 12 weeks of management training & at grand opening
Support	Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing	-	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising
Operations	8% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)	Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.
Expansion Plans
	Hamburger Mary's Franchise	Carl's Jr Franchise
US Expansion	-	Yes
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	Yes	Yes

Company Overviews

About Hamburger Mary's

Started in San Francisco in 1972, Hamburger Mary's serves homestyle meals prepared using fresh and healthy ingredients, including low-fat beef, farm-fresh chicken and turkey, and salads, as well as desserts including carrot cake, snicker's pie and cheesecake. The restaurants include a full bar and a kids' menu.

About Carl's Jr

Carl's Jr. is known all through the Western U.S. as the place to go for premium quality burgers, specifically its 100% Angus hamburger Six Dollar Burger line.

At Hardee's® and Carl's Jr.® our brand sets us apart from the competition. Our advertisements are created to be so bold and memorable that they've been known to crash internet video servers. Our taglines deliver bold statements and our visuals are designed to keep viewers wanting more. EAT LIKE YOU MEAN IT.

Hardee's® and Carl's Jr.® have a strong track record of successfully developing new premium products to lead the category in taste, quality, and innovation. As an industry leader, we have consistently out-delivered all other quick-service restaurants in product development since our founding. Staying on top requires that we continue to lead the way in the products we serve through taste, quality, and innovation.

#202 in Franchise 500 for 2021.