McDonald's vs Thundercloud Subs Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
McDonald's Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Investment $1,314,500 - $2,306,500$65,000 - $90,000
Franchise Fee $45,000$10,000
Royalty Fee 4%-
Advertising Fee 4%+-
Year Founded 19551975
Year Franchised 19550
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee $45K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
McDonald's Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    McDonald's Franchise
    Thundercloud Subs Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    McDonald's Franchise
    Thundercloud Subs Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 500 hours Classroom Training: 72 hours Additional Training: At local McDonald's restaurant -
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software -
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app -
    Operations 82% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    McDonald's Franchise
    Thundercloud Subs Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    About McDonald's

    Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman, ventured to California in 1954 to visit McDonald's hamburger stand, where he heard they were running eight mixers at once. Kroc was impressed by how rapidly customers were served and, seeing an opportunity to sell many more milkshake machines, encouraged brothers Dick and Mac McDonald to open a chain of their restaurants. Kroc became their business partner and opened the first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955.
    McDonald's brand is in 122 countries around the world. Thirty thousand locations serve 51 million customers each day. More than 70 percent of McDonald's restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent local business people. Most standalone McDonald's restaurants offer both counter and drive-through service, with indoor and sometimes outdoor seating. The Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, or McDrive as it is known in many countries, often has separate stations for placing, paying for, and picking up orders, though the former two steps are frequently combined. In some countries "McDrive" locations near highways offer no counter service or seating. In contrast, locations in high-density city neighborhoods often omit drive-through service.


    "Top   ""  "Entrepreneur

      "franchiserankingscom"                                                                                                                         
    #7 on Franchise Rankings.com                                                                                                                                                            
    #3 in Canada's top franchises.
    #3 in Franchise 500 for 2020
    #11 in Franchise 500 for 2021










    About Thundercloud Subs

    ThunderCloud Subs, a neighborhood sub shop with a rich tradition of good natured people serving FRESH, FAST & HEALTHY food in a great atmosphere. We started ThunderCloud in 1975 with a simple yet logical philosophy of selling a fresh meal at a reasonable price and we proudly maintain that same course today! IT'S ALL IN THE INGREDIENTS...We slice all our meats, cheeses and produce daily. We prepare our spreads from scratch every day. We have our bread made from scratch and delivered every morning and we choose only the finest ingredients. When you come into a ThunderCloud Sub Shop, you'll experience the creation of a great sandwich! Our People The ThunderCloud sandwich artists are notoriously good natured and famously talented. We take pride in a job well done. We believe in team work, doing a little bit more than our fair share and having fun both on and off the job. Though we have plenty of company policies to help keep the "machine" running smoothly, we think we allow enough liberties to foster individualism, self-esteem and self-pride. Our Community Each year, ThunderCloud sponsors some of the most engaging events that bring the Austin community together for meaningful causes. We have been a FRESH, FAST & HEALTHY part of Austin for 30 years. Being uniquely Austin means giving more, too! We dedicate half of our annual marketing effort to support local non-profit groups like Caritas of Austin. We believe in supporting organizations dedicated to creating a better Austin. ThunderCloud has proudly donated over $750,000 to Caritas and last year contributed $176,500. Our HomeThunderCloud is proud to be an engrained part of the Austin community. We're at home here in Austin, just like much of Austin feels comfortable and at home when they're in one of our shops.