Carl's Jr vs Woody's Chicago Style Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Woody's Chicago Style Franchise
Investment	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000	$58,600 - $394,000
Franchise Fee	$25,000 - $35,000	N/A
Royalty Fee	4%	6%
Advertising Fee	6%	-
Year Founded	1945	1990
Year Franchised	1984	1991
Term Of Agreement	20 years	5 years
Term Of Agreement	20 years	5 years
Renewal Fee	Varies	$2K
Business Experience Requirements
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Woody's Chicago Style Franchise
Experience	Industry experience General business experience Preferable operational experience in a restaurant, but will consider people who have owned their own business	General business experience
Financing Options
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Woody's Chicago Style 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
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Woody's Chicago Style Franchise
Training	Available at franchisee's location, 12 weeks of management training & at grand opening	-
Support	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations
Marketing	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising	-
Operations	Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.	6% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 1 - 3 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (95% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Expansion Plans
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Woody's Chicago Style Franchise
US Expansion	Yes	Yes
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	Yes	No

Company Overviews

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.

About Woody's Chicago Style

Woody's has many types of operation: Class A Franchise *Propane or electric format *Highly mobile *Operates without on-site utilities *Moderate to high volume *Trailer included Class B Franchise *High volume capacity *Greater presence *Propane or electric format *Limited Mobility *Trailer included Class C Franchise *Limited mobile format *220V, 40 amp power requirement *Fully self-contained *Established product line *Fully automatic equipment Class D Franchise: In-Line Store. Class D Twin Carts. Class D Kiosk. Class D Stand Alone. Class E Franchise: *Class A cart package included *Operates without on-site utilities *High volume capabilities *Additional specialized training included *Cart transport trailer included *Additional optional equipment available. Class K Kiosk Franchise was developed to accommodate the ever evolving mobile food service industry. This program enables a Franchisee to be open year round during some of the most extreme weather. This fully enclosed, self-contained kiosk unit is still considered a mobile unit, but is adaptable to municipalities that are looking for more of a permanent structure and less mobile. It can be customized to fit many code directed specifications of various deemed health departments or local code enforcement agencies. The kiosk allows vendors to offer a broader menu, and can accommodate more storage and cooking space than the traditional class A, B and C franchises, which in turn allows access to locations where foot traffic is more prevalent.