Sonic Drive In vs Hero Certified Burgers Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
Investment $1,242,000 - $3,523,300$60,000 - $80,000
Franchise Fee $45,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 2.45-5%-
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 19542003
Year Franchised 19592003
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee 10 years for $6K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • If no industry experience, must have an operating equity partner
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/Yes-/-
    Receivables No/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Hero Certified Burgers 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 -
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app -
    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.

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Hero Certified Burgers Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoNo

    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 Hero Certified Burgers

    When you buy a franchise, you take a leap of faith. You know that success depends on sacrifice, dedication and hard work, but you also know that it can be an exciting journey with many rewards.

    You’ve considered HERO because our brand reputation is solid, our sustainable food is excellent, and our training and support exceptional.

    We have remained focused to our commitment to our customers to make every visit to Hero Burgers a special one. Every time they think of having a freshly prepared, made to order, a better for you burger….
    their first choice will be Hero Certified Burgers.

    We’ve come a long way since we launched our first restaurant in 2003, with 50 locations now in operation in Ontario, Manhattan New York, and Montreal.

    But success never sleeps.

    Join the HERO family and be our partner on the next leg of the journey.

    Our goal is to deliver the best tasting food and the highest quality service in a clean environment for a fair price. Our commitment to quality ensures that all our burgers are from natural free-range beef and hormone-free and antibiotic-free, cooked medium-well.