Sonic Drive In vs Tin Star Restaurant Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Sonic Drive In vs Tin Star Restaurant including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
Investment $1,242,000 - $3,523,300$500,000
Franchise Fee $45,000$20,000 - $35,000
Royalty Fee 2.45-5%4%
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 19541999
Year Franchised 19592003
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years
Renewal Fee 10 years for $6K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • If no industry experience, must have an operating equity partner

  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
    		•

    Financing Options
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/No
    Equipment No/YesNo/No
    Inventory No/YesNo/No
    Receivables No/YesNo/No
    Payroll No/YesNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 400 hours Classroom Training: 24 hours Additional Training: At existing franchise location -
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Franchisee Intranet Platform Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app Ad slicks
    Operations International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 60% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 25

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

    		 Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 35

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

    Expansion Plans
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Tin Star Restaurant Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoYes

    Company Overviews

    About Sonic Drive In

    Sonic Industries Inc. was founded in 1973. In 1974, Sonic acquired the name 'Sonic Drive-In' from Troy Smith, Sr., and began franchising. Smith used his more than 15 years of experience in the restaurant business to develop and operate the Sonic franchise program. A wholly owned subsidiary of Sonic Corp., the company is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has locations throughout the United States. The company's storefronts recently got a facelift to give them a 'retro-futuristic' look.

    Your estimated initial investment necessary to begin operation of a Traditional Sonic Drive-In franchise ranges from approximately $1,242,200 to $3,537,700 plus land costs and includes the $45,000 franchise fee that must be paid to Sonic.
    Your estimated initial investment necessary to begin operation of a Non-Traditional Sonic franchise ranges from approximately $361,900 to $978,700 and includes the $22,500 franchise fee that must be paid to Sonic.

    "franchiserankingscom"     "Entrepreneur
    #91 on Franchise Rankings.com
    #4 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #28 in Franchise 500 for 2021.




    About Tin Star Restaurant

    Become a Part of the Tin Star Family Tin Star is seeking energetic, motivated restaurateurs with an unrelenting commitment to Guest service, quality and freshness. We're proud of our concept, and we're excited to find qualified, experienced franchisees who share our passion for great food, fantastic flavors and the Tin Star spirit of hospitality. Take a look at our preliminary requirements and contact our corporate officers for information about available opportunities. If you are interested in developing a specific market and meet all of the preliminary requirements, please complete our application. The Tin Star team has worked hard to put together a franchise program that includes support related to restaurant design, operations, training and development and marketing. Rich Hicks, President, has extensive experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. At Tin Star, our spirit shines through our people, our food, and the experience we create for our Guests. We invite you to get in touch with us to learn more about specific franchise opportunities available at Tin Star.