Carl's Jr vs Hero Certified Burgers Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
Investment	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000	$60,000 - $80,000
Franchise Fee	$25,000 - $35,000	$25,000
Royalty Fee	4%	-
Advertising Fee	6%	-
Year Founded	1945	2003
Year Franchised	1984	2003
Term Of Agreement	20 years	-
Term Of Agreement	20 years	-
Renewal Fee	Varies	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
Experience	Industry experience General business experience Preferable operational experience in a restaurant, but will consider people who have owned their own business	-
Financing Options
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/No	-/-
Start-up Costs	No/No	-/-
Equipment	No/No	-/-
Inventory	No/No	-/-
Receivables	No/No	-/-
Payroll	No/No	-/-
Training & Support
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Hero Certified Burgers 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	-
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.	-
Expansion Plans
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Hero Certified Burgers 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 Hero Certified Burgers

When you buy a franchise, you take a leap of faith. You know that success depends on sacrifice, dedication and hard work, but you also know that it can be an exciting journey with many rewards.

You’ve considered HERO because our brand reputation is solid, our sustainable food is excellent, and our training and support exceptional.

We have remained focused to our commitment to our customers to make every visit to Hero Burgers a special one. Every time they think of having a freshly prepared, made to order, a better for you burger….
their first choice will be Hero Certified Burgers.

We’ve come a long way since we launched our first restaurant in 2003, with 50 locations now in operation in Ontario, Manhattan New York, and Montreal.

But success never sleeps.

Join the HERO family and be our partner on the next leg of the journey.

Our goal is to deliver the best tasting food and the highest quality service in a clean environment for a fair price. Our commitment to quality ensures that all our burgers are from natural free-range beef and hormone-free and antibiotic-free, cooked medium-well.