Five Guys Burgers & Fries vs Sonic Drive In Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Five Guys Burgers & Fries vs Sonic Drive In including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$306,200 - $716,250 | $1,242,000 - $3,523,300 |
Franchise Fee |
$50,000 - $125,000 | $45,000 |
Royalty Fee |
6% | 2.45-5% |
Advertising Fee |
2% | 3% |
Year Founded |
1986 | 1954 |
Year Franchised |
2002 | 1959 |
Term Of Agreement |
20 years | 20 years |
Term Of Agreement |
20 years | 20 years |
Renewal Fee |
- | 10 years for $6K |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
Industry experience General business experience | Industry experience General business experience If no industry experience, must have an operating equity partner |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | No/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Equipment |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Inventory |
No/No | No/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | No/Yes |
Payroll |
No/No | No/Yes |
Training & Support |
Training |
- | On-The-Job Training: 400 hours
Classroom Training: 24 hours
Additional Training: At existing franchise location
|
Support |
Newsletter, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security/Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
Marketing |
Regional advertising | 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 |
US Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
No | No |
Company Overviews
About Five Guys Burgers & Fries
At Five Guys, we don't like to talk about ourselves very much. We would rather focus on making burgers. So if you're interested in franchising, we hope it's because you love our burgers, love that we have a simple menu, and want to serve great burgers in a clean and friendly environment with very little fuss. If you feel that way, then there isn't much more to say!
With the simple focus on quality, service and cleanliness, Five Guys has opened over 300 restaurants in less than five years. If you're interested in being a part of the Five Guys family, then fill out our form to reach our Franchise Department. We will get back to you with an application and will let you know what areas of the country are open for development.
Markets Available for Development
We are pleased to announce that we are currently sold out in the United States and in Canada.
Our franchisees are feverishly working on completing development of their territories. This means that there are some areas without Five Guys locations, but those territories have been sold and franchisees will be opening there soon.
#54 on Franchise Rankings.com
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.
#91 on Franchise Rankings.com
#4 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#28 in Franchise 500 for 2021.