Sonic Drive In vs Hot Stuff Foods Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Hot Stuff Foods Franchise
Investment $1,242,000 - $3,523,300$59,500 - $140,000
Franchise Fee $45,000N/A
Royalty Fee 2.45-5%0
Advertising Fee 3%0
Year Founded 19541982
Year Franchised 19591993
Term Of Agreement 20 years5 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years5 years
Renewal Fee 10 years for $6K0


Business Experience Requirements

 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Hot Stuff Foods 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
    Hot Stuff Foods Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/Yes
    Equipment No/YesYes/Yes
    Inventory No/YesNo/No
    Receivables No/YesNo/No
    Payroll No/YesNo/No

    Training & Support

     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Hot Stuff Foods 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
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising
    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.

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.


    Expansion Plans

     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Hot Stuff Foods 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 Hot Stuff Foods

    Developed in 1986, Hot Stuff Pizza has become the flagship brand of Orion Food Systems and the go-to favorite for consumers around the world. With delicious and satisfying options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every snack in between, this pizza powerhouse offers extensive and crowd-pleasing menus that are easy-to-prepare and highly customizable. We provide national marketing campaigns with new promotions every quarter, including high-impact advertising materials, exciting new product introductions, and limited-time offer options, whichever is better for your business. Join over 900 franchisees and capitalize on America's most popular foods. With core menus that include a wide variety of pizzas, ready-to-bake appetizers, hot sandwiches, hot wings, breakfast burritos and croissants, Cinnobabies, and other on-the-go favorites. Our recipe is simple: Quality Products through Quality People. At Orion Food Systems, we have a great team that cares about creating the very best-tasting restaurant-quality food - in addition to providing boutique-level service. When you partner with us, you'll receive a nimble, customizable food service solution as well as all of the training, marketing, and 24-hour support you'll need to be successful. Contact us at 1-877-841-1431 to learn more about putting the Hot Stuff Pizza brand to work for you!

    Seeking new franchise units in the following regions/states:
    Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming