Sonic Drive In vs Willy Dog Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Sonic Drive In Franchise
Willy Dog Franchise
Investment $1,242,000 - $3,523,300$599 - $8,999
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
Willy Dog Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • If no industry experience, must have an operating equity partner
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Sonic Drive In Franchise
    Willy Dog 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
    Willy Dog 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 -
    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
    Willy Dog 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 Willy Dog

    Willy dogs Hot Dog Carts build carts for any location and any type of business. Since 1989, we have been proving our experience in building and designing Vending Carts, Hot Dog Carts, and Concession Carts. We have a cart to suit everyone. Our complete stand in, self-contained carts and Hot Dog Carts have had great reviews. We put our experience and industry knowledge into every hot dog cart we build. The high quality construction and our guarantee, make US Hot Dog the choice for hot dog cart vending. Our mobile concession carts and hotdog carts are ready for easy safe towing using almost any vehicle. You can even push most of our Hot Dog Carts by hand. Our Hot Dog Carts are completely self contained with hot and cold running water and are powered by clean-burning propane. Our castor carts and coffee specialty carts are custom designed and are available in a variety of standard sizes for use in busy Casinos or Hotels. We custom build vending carts and stand in carts for all applications and welcome specialized design requests. We meet or exceed all health codes, but it is up to you to make sure that you have checked with your local health department to ensure that the hot dog cart you have ordered meets requirements for your area. Our Steamer Carts are available for a variety of foods. The majority of carts are being used as hotdogs carts, but can be used to boil or steam anything. If you need versatility in your product line, we have developed specialized carts that can be changed to a steamer cart, a BBQ grill cart or a combination of both. We are a true manufacturer of quality Hot Dog Carts and food carts for all purposes. Our Hot Dog Carts and Steamer Carts start with a sturdy steel frame dressed in stainless steel. Whether you are looking for a mobile hot dog cart or a push steamer cart, we are able to surface mount any stock equipment, as well as, build equipment directly into the body of your cart. We can produce any form of custom equipment such as in deck propane steamers & charbroilers. If it's quality for a price you're after, please make us your first and last choice.