Carl's Jr vs Wingstop Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Wingstop Franchise
Investment	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000	$376,300 - $724,200
Franchise Fee	$25,000 - $35,000	$30,000
Royalty Fee	4%	6%
Advertising Fee	6%	4%
Year Founded	1945	1994
Year Franchised	1984	1998
Term Of Agreement	20 years	10 years
Term Of Agreement	20 years	10 years
Renewal Fee	Varies	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Wingstop 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	Wingstop 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	Wingstop Franchise
Training	Available at franchisee's location, 12 weeks of management training & at grand opening	On-The-Job Training: 139 hours Classroom Training: 48 hours
Support	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives	Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, 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.	20% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 8 - 10 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (95% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Expansion Plans
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Wingstop Franchise
US Expansion	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 Wingstop

Wingstop Franchising LLC is the franchisor. Wingstop restaurants offer chicken wings in a variety of highly-seasoned flavors. They also offer fresh-cut French fries, other foods, and beverages, including beer and wine where legally permitted. A Wingstop franchise entitles the franchisee to operate one restaurant at an approved location.

Veteran Incentives   $15,000 off first-store franchise fee