Carl's Jr vs Hot Dog On A Stick Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Carl's Jr Franchise
Hot Dog On A Stick Franchise
Investment $1,603,000 - $2,168,000$338,200 - $556,000
Franchise Fee $25,000 - $35,000$15,000 - $25,000
Royalty Fee 4%6%
Advertising Fee 6%2%
Year Founded 19451946
Year Franchised 19841995
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee Varies-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Carl's Jr Franchise
Hot Dog On A Stick 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
    Hot Dog On A Stick Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-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
    Hot Dog On A Stick Franchise
    Training Available at franchisee's location, 12 weeks of management training & at grand opening On-The-Job Training: 32.5 hours Classroom Training: 35.5 hours Additional Training: At training store
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertisingCo-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    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
    Hot Dog On A Stick Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion YesYes

    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.


    ""  "Entrepreneur

    #100 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #202 in Franchise 500 for 2021.




    About Hot Dog On A Stick

    Our first store opened at Muscle Beach, Santa Monica, California in 1946. Our founder, Dave Barham, was a charismatic and enlightened personality who understood the value of treating people to an experience as opposed to a service. In short, he built his business around the concepts of putting people first, and giving them a show. His approach was extremely successful. By 1990 Hot Dog on a Stick had become an icon in our primary venue, shopping malls, with 60 stores operating in 12 states.
    After Dave passed away in 1991, we became an employee owned corporation (ESOP) led by a management team he had mentored over the years. This team has successfully overseen Hot Dog on a Stick's expansion to over 103 stores in 17 states.
    Veteran Incentives  25% off franchise fee