Sonic Drive In vs Binghamton Hots Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Binghamton Hots Franchise
Investment $1,242,000 - $3,523,300$122,850 - $213,450
Franchise Fee $45,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 2.45-5%5%
Advertising Fee 3%2%
Year Founded 1954-
Year Franchised 1959-
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years +5+5
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 years +5+5
Renewal Fee 10 years for $6K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Binghamton Hots Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • If no industry experience, must have an operating equity partner
  • Some familiarity with restaurant operations is helpful, but it’s not required to be part of the Binghamton HOTS casual restaurant franchise program. We do look for people who will be dedicated to their restaurant operations, and who have solid business and people management experience. The ability to build a strong operations team and potentially open and operate multiple units are also important factors we evaluate.

    Financing Options

     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Binghamton Hots Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/-
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/-
    Equipment No/YesNo/-
    Inventory No/YesNo/-
    Receivables No/YesNo/-
    Payroll No/YesNo/-

    Training & Support

     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Binghamton Hots Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 400 hours Classroom Training: 24 hours Additional Training: At existing franchise location Classroom (up to 16 hours) On-the-job (up to 60 hours) sessions
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Franchisee Intranet Platform We will send a representative to assist you and your team on-site around the time of your Grand Opening. We will present you with a copy of our confidential operations manual to help you run your casual restaurant franchise properly on a day-to-day basis.
    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
    Binghamton Hots Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    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 Binghamton Hots

    Everyone, from college kids and downtown residents to families and workers from local businesses, comes in to Binghamton HOTS for food and fun, throughout the day and night.

    You can create your own local a destination that appeals to today’s consumers, including Millennials, who want creative menu options loaded with convenience.
    • You can build business with flexible service options across multiple dayparts - from lunch to dinner to late night - and even offer carry-out, delivery, and catering options, too.
    • You can be part of the immense restaurant industry, where demand for customization, convenience and flavor have quick service and fast-casual sales on a continual upward growth trend.
    Best of all, you can operate your local HOTS spot with confidence, with our full support at every stage of your restaurant’s operations.