Franopolis
    BKvsSD

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Burger King vs Sonic Drive-In

    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.

    BKBurger King2025 FDDSDSonic Drive-In2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Burger King

    $564,600 – $979,100

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Burger King

    $50,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Burger King

    4.5%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Before you compare

    • Burger King figures come from its 2025 FDD and Sonic Drive-In figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Burger King 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 (Burger King: 80, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Burger King

    $564,600 – $979,100
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200
    TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT (excluding free- standing real estate costs) (15) — 1485200
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Burger King

    $50,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Burger King

    4.5%
    Royalty rate
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%
    lows: Duration of Effective Royalty Fee Effective Royalty Fee Opening through Year 1 — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Burger King

    4.5%
    Advertising contribution as of Jan 1 2025 — 4.5%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 43

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Burger King

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Sonic Drive-In

    3,412
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Burger King

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Sonic Drive-In

    −109
    Calculated: 3,521 at end of 2023 → 3,412 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Burger King

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Burger King

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Burger King

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    BKBurger King
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Non-Traditional Restaurants, consolidated
    100 percent
    other Non-Traditional annual sales distribution
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 102
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Remodel scope Grand Total
    1,031 units
    other Remodel scope
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 108
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Non-Traditional Restaurants, franchisee-owned
    8.4 percent
    other Non-Traditional annual sales distribution
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 102
    +77 more groups in the full report
    SDSonic Drive-In
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2nd Quartile
    47 percent
    other 2nd Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 71
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All Restaurants
    1,338 restaurants
    other All Restaurants
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 1st Quartile
    294 restaurants
    other 1st Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 71
    +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.

    Burger King vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Burger King or Sonic Drive-In?
    Burger King: $564,600 – $979,100 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Sonic Drive-In: $1,485,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Burger King. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Burger King and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?
    Burger King: 4.5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34); Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Burger King and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Burger King has reviewed Item 19 figures for 80 location groups; Sonic Drive-In 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

    BK

    Full Burger King report

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

    SD

    Full Sonic Drive-In report

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

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