Franopolis
    vs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Ace Hardware vs Southern Steer

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Ace Hardware2025 FDDSouthern Steer2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Ace Hardware

    $134,600 – $2,001,550

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Southern Steer

    $376,223

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Ace Hardware

    Not available

    Southern Steer

    $59,500

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Royalty · Item 6

    Ace Hardware

    Not available

    Southern Steer

    1 3 ) — 250

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Before you compare

    • Ace Hardware figures come from its 2025 FDD and Southern Steer figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Ace Hardware discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Ace Hardware: 8, Southern Steer: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Ace Hardware

    $134,600 – $2,001,550
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Southern Steer

    $376,223
    m When You sign the MUDA Us Initial Investment for First Southern Steer Business (2) — 376223
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Southern Steer

    $59,500
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Southern Steer

    1 3 ) — 250
    on to the Royalty Fee and Brand Fund Contribution, if any. Liquidated Damages
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Ace Hardware

    $65
    Digital Circular: $65/month; advertising placement $425/month per store
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Southern Steer

    2% of 3) — 2%
    on each individual Southern Steer Business You operate . Brand Fund Contribution
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    5,144
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74

    Southern Steer

    9
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 57
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    +277
    Calculated: 4,867 at end of 2022 → 5,144 at end of 2024

    Southern Steer

    +5
    Calculated: 4 at end of 2023 → 9 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Southern Steer

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Southern Steer

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Southern Steer

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Ace Hardware
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2023 RFR participating Ace branded single-store Reporting Stores in the Super H…
    $5,308,506
    other Super Hardware Format average annual sales volume
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Participating Ace branded single-store Reporting Stores in the 2023 RFR
    689 stores
    other Number of participating Ace branded Reporting Stores in 2023 RFR
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2023 RFR Reporting Stores in the Super Hardware Format
    $1,301,349
    other Super Hardware Format low annual sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    +5 more groups in the full report
    Southern Steer
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — St. Petersburg
    0.7 percent
    other St. Petersburg
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Clearwater Florida
    44 percent
    other Clearwater
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Ocoee
    $13,452
    other Ocoee
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    +5 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Ace Hardware vs Southern Steer: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Ace Hardware or Southern Steer?
    Ace Hardware: $134,600 – $2,001,550 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Southern Steer: $376,223 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Ace Hardware. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Ace Hardware or Southern Steer?
    Ace Hardware: 5,144 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74); Southern Steer: 9 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 57). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Ace Hardware and Southern Steer disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Ace Hardware has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Southern Steer has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Ace Hardware report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Southern Steer report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Compare Ace Hardware with

    Compare Southern Steer with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item