Carl's Jr vs Fuddruckers Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Fuddruckers Franchise
Investment	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000	$495,000 - $1,565,000
Franchise Fee	$25,000 - $35,000	$35,000
Royalty Fee	4%	5%
Advertising Fee	6%	.25%
Year Founded	1945	1980
Year Franchised	1984	1983
Term Of Agreement	20 years	20 years
Term Of Agreement	20 years	20 years
Renewal Fee	Varies	$25K
Business Experience Requirements
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Fuddruckers Franchise
Experience	Industry experience General business experience Preferable operational experience in a restaurant, but will consider people who have owned their own business	Industry experience General business experience
Financing Options
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Fuddruckers Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/No	No/No
Start-up Costs	No/No	No/No
Equipment	No/No	No/No
Inventory	No/No	No/No
Receivables	No/No	No/No
Payroll	No/No	No/No
Training & Support
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Fuddruckers Franchise
Training	Available at franchisee's location, 12 weeks of management training & at grand opening	6-week training program
Support	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives	Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations
Marketing	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising	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.	53% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (99% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Expansion Plans
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Fuddruckers Franchise
US Expansion	Yes	-
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	Yes	Yes

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 Fuddruckers

The first Fuddruckers opened in San Antonio, Texas in 1980 with a classic American nostalgia theme. Fuddruckers operates and franchises more than 200 restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Middle East. The emphasis today is the same as it was in 1980 - we use only the freshest ingredients. Our restaurants serve only the freshest beef and feature on-premise bakeries where bread and dessert items are baked fresh daily. It's truly a "build-your-own meal" experience.