Sonic Drive In vs Elevation Burger Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Elevation Burger Franchise
Investment $1,242,000 - $3,523,300$338,500 - $599,500
Franchise Fee $45,000N/A
Royalty Fee 2.45-5%-
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 1954-
Year Franchised 1959-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee 10 years for $6K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Elevation Burger Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • If no industry experience, must have an operating equity partner
    		• Elevation Burger considers only highly motivated individuals and entities committed to building a great brand. Prior restaurant experience is a plus, but not required.

    Financing Options
     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Elevation Burger 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
    Elevation Burger 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 * Vendor Relationships * Real Estate, Design & Construction Tools * Franchisee Support Intranet * Employee Recruitment * Quality Control Checks * Grand Opening and Local Store Marketing * Continuous Upgrades to Menus & Recipes * Training of franchisee, management, kitchen staff, and wait staff prior to opening
    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
    Elevation Burger Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    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 Elevation Burger

    Gourmet, organic burgers & fries!

    Elevation Burger is elevating the burger segment using grass-fed, great tasting organic beef, cooking our fresh fries in olive oil, offering veggie burgers and fresh-scooped milk shakes. Elevation Burger prepares all items fresh and made to order.

    Because ingredients matter. People want to feel good about the food they eat, the environment they purchase it in and the employees serving them. Elevation Burger is a pioneer in creating a burger meal that tastes good, uses ingredients recognized to be good for you and is served in an inviting atmosphere.