Carl's Jr vs Burger 21 Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Carl's Jr vs Burger 21 including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Burger 21 Franchise
Investment	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000	$448,247 - $1,175,164
Franchise Fee	$25,000 - $35,000	$27,000 - $40,000
Royalty Fee	4%	5%
Advertising Fee	6%	1% -3%
Year Founded	1945	2010
Year Franchised	1984	2011
Term Of Agreement	20 years	10 years
Term Of Agreement	20 years	10 years
Renewal Fee	Varies	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Burger 21 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	Burger 21 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	Burger 21 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	*An online asset management tool offered to provide franchisees with access to system-wide marketing materials and the ability to customize these materials *Corporate and onsite training programs that are designed to help implement a standardized operating system *A Franchise Business Consultant (FBC) who is assigned to each franchisee to assist with business start-up and growth *Assistance from the FBC with financial analysis, operations evaluations, strategic planning and brainstorming of new ideas
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	Burger 21 Franchise
US Expansion	Yes	Yes
Canada Expansion	No	-
International Expansion	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 Burger 21

Burger 21 is a new, innovative fast casual restaurant franchise concept that is changing consumers' expectations of the "better burger" category. With its chef-inspired creations, unique concept design and exceptional dining experience, Burger 21 is positioned for enormous growth.