Is Sonic or Hardee's cheaper to open?

Sonic costs $1,485,200–$2,522,900 and Hardee's costs $1,385,000–$2,637,395 to open (FDD Item 7). Hardee's has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Sonic or Hardee's?

Sonic reports $1,552,145 average annual unit revenue vs $1,347,436 for Hardee's (FDD Item 19). Sonic is higher.

Which is safer, Sonic or Hardee's?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 8.3% for Sonic and 39.0% for Hardee's. Lower is safer, so Sonic has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Sonic or Hardee's?

FranchiseVerdict grades Sonic B and Hardee's C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Sonic vs Hardee's

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Sonic and Hardee's are quick-service restaurants franchises. Sonic requires an investment of $1.5M – $2.5M while Hardee's requires $1.4M – $2.6M. In terms of revenue, Sonic reports higher average unit revenue at $1.6M. On SBA loan performance, Sonic has a lower charge-off rate (8.3%) compared to Hardee's (39.0%). FranchiseVerdict rates Sonic B (Above average) and Hardee's C (Average).

Metric	Sonic	Hardee's
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	CAverage
Investment Range	$1.5M – $2.5M	$1.4M – $2.6M
Franchise Fee	$15K	$25K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	4.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.6M	$1.3M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	8.3% (144 loans)	39.0% (55 loans)
Total Units	3,412	1,485
Unit Growth (YoY)	-24 units	-82 units
Year Began Franchising	1974	2013
FDD Year	2026	2026