Is A&W or Elevation Burger cheaper to open?

A&W costs $894,130–$1,640,034 and Elevation Burger costs $517,300–$1,991,900 to open (FDD Item 7). Elevation Burger has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, A&W or Elevation Burger?

A&W reports $1,297,747 average annual unit revenue vs $1,083,585 for Elevation Burger (FDD Item 19). A&W is higher. For A&W: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. For Elevation Burger: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system; Reported as net sales, not gross sales.

Which is the better franchise, A&W or Elevation Burger?

FranchiseVerdict grades A&W B and Elevation Burger C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

A&W vs Elevation Burger

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both A&W and Elevation Burger are quick-service restaurants franchises. A&W requires an investment of $894K – $1.6M while Elevation Burger requires $517K – $2.0M. In terms of revenue, A&W reports higher average unit revenue at $1.3M. Note: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. A&W has SBA lending data on file with a 17.1% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates A&W B (Above average) and Elevation Burger C (Average).

Metric	A&W	Elevation Burger
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	CAverage
Investment Range	$894K – $1.6M	$517K – $2.0M
Franchise Fee	$30K	$50K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.3M	$1.1MOutlet subset
SBA Charge-Off Rate	17.1% (97 loans)	Limited data
Total Units	409	32
Unit Growth (YoY)	-21 units	-3 units
Year Began Franchising	N/A	2008
FDD Year	2026	2025