Farmer Boys vs Whataburger Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Farmer Boys vs Whataburger including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Farmer Boys Franchise
Whataburger Franchise
Investment $1,042,500 - $2,486,500$1,200,000
Franchise Fee $45,000N/A
Royalty Fee 5%-
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 19811950
Year Franchised 19970
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Farmer Boys Franchise
Whataburger Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Farmer Boys Franchise
    Whataburger Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Farmer Boys Franchise
    Whataburger Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 480 hours Classroom Training: 60 hours -
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform -
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Loyalty program/app -
    Operations 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 30

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Farmer Boys Franchise
    Whataburger Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Farmer Boys

    During the 1970s, brothers Makis and Chris Havadjias worked in restaurants to earn money for college. They helped the owners of one of those restaurants rebuild the establishment, and later bought it. With the experience they gained at that first restaurant, the brothers bought a poorly performing restaurant in Perris, California, that they built into Farmer Boys. With the help of their three other brothers, the Havadjias expanded Farmer Boys throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties in Southern California. Each location serves hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and a full breakfast menu. The company began franchising in 1998.

    #128 in Franchise 500 for 2021. Not ranked in 2020.

    About Whataburger

    A Great Company, A Great Burger. Those simple ideas have guided us through more than 70 years of Whataburger history, which began in 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger in Corpus Christi, Texas. From day one, Harmon believed that valuing his employees would ensure the success of the company, and he was right. What was once a two-man burger stand has grown to over 650 Whataburger locations across 10 states. We are an uncommon company within the burger industry, because we've never compromised the quality of our products and we genuinely respect our people. We are a family owned and operated company and everyone who works at Whataburger - from the home office to the restaurants - is referred to as a Family Member.

    Whataburger doesn’t demand any kind of royalty fee.