Carl's Jr vs Taco Palace Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Taco Palace Franchise
Investment	$1,603,000 - $2,168,000	$53,200 - $133,100
Franchise Fee	$25,000 - $35,000	$33,950
Royalty Fee	4%	0-4%
Advertising Fee	6%	-
Year Founded	1945	1985
Year Franchised	1984	1996
Term Of Agreement	20 years	1 year+
Term Of Agreement	20 years	1 year+
Renewal Fee	Varies	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Taco Palace Franchise
Experience	Industry experience General business experience Preferable operational experience in a restaurant, but will consider people who have owned their own business	General business experience
Financing Options
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Taco Palace Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/No	No/No
Start-up Costs	No/No	No/No
Equipment	No/No	No/No
Inventory	No/No	No/No
Receivables	No/No	No/No
Payroll	No/No	No/No
Training & Support
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Taco Palace Franchise
Training	Available at franchisee's location, 12 weeks of management training & at grand opening	-
Support	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives	Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising	Ad slicks
Operations	Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.	0% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 12 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Expansion Plans
	Carl's Jr Franchise	Taco Palace Franchise
US Expansion	Yes	-
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	Yes	Yes

Company Overviews

About Carl's Jr

Carl's Jr. is known all through the Western U.S. as the place to go for premium quality burgers, specifically its 100% Angus hamburger Six Dollar Burger line.

At Hardee's® and Carl's Jr.® our brand sets us apart from the competition. Our advertisements are created to be so bold and memorable that they've been known to crash internet video servers. Our taglines deliver bold statements and our visuals are designed to keep viewers wanting more. EAT LIKE YOU MEAN IT.

Hardee's® and Carl's Jr.® have a strong track record of successfully developing new premium products to lead the category in taste, quality, and innovation. As an industry leader, we have consistently out-delivered all other quick-service restaurants in product development since our founding. Staying on top requires that we continue to lead the way in the products we serve through taste, quality, and innovation.

#202 in Franchise 500 for 2021.

About Taco Palace

Husband-and-wife team Larry and Sandi Faria bought Taco Palace from Kirk Davison in 1985. The Farias had previously owned a pair of Chevron Oil Co. franchises and brought to Taco Palace 16 years of franchise experience. In developing Taco Palace's franchise program, the Farias were driven by the goal to develop a franchisee-friendly system. Taco Palace franchisees are not required to pay a franchise fee and are strongly encouraged to rent or lease an existing building and then dress it up, rather than construct a new one, a practice that helps to lessen start-up costs. The privately held company is headquartered in Monett, Missouri, and has a co-branding relationship with Kentucky Fried Chicken.