Is Carl's Jr. or Del Taco cheaper to open?

Carl's Jr. costs $1,486,000–$3,176,500 and Del Taco costs $1,497,200–$3,321,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Carl's Jr. has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Carl's Jr. or Del Taco?

Carl's Jr. reports $1,403,895 average annual unit revenue vs $1,613,899 for Del Taco (FDD Item 19). Del Taco is higher. For Del Taco: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.

Which is the better franchise, Carl's Jr. or Del Taco?

FranchiseVerdict grades Carl's Jr. B and Del Taco B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Carl's Jr. vs Del Taco

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Carl's Jr. and Del Taco are quick-service restaurants franchises. Carl's Jr. requires an investment of $1.5M – $3.2M while Del Taco requires $1.5M – $3.3M. In terms of revenue, Del Taco reports higher average unit revenue at $1.6M. Note: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Del Taco has SBA lending data on file with a 18.9% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Carl's Jr. B (Above average) and Del Taco B (Above average).

Metric	Carl's Jr.	Del Taco
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$1.5M – $3.2M	$1.5M – $3.3M
Franchise Fee	$25K	$35K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.4M	$1.6MOutlet subset
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	18.9% (50 loans)
Total Units	1,063	594
Unit Growth (YoY)	-6 units	+40 units
Year Began Franchising	1984	1990
FDD Year	2024	2025