Franchise opportunities compared

    CHARLEYS vs Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    CHARLEYS

    $203,736 – $984,732

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $214,000 – $1,915,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    CHARLEYS

    Not available

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $30,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16

    Royalty · Item 6

    CHARLEYS

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $2.00

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20

    Before you compare

    • CHARLEYS figures come from its 2025 FDD and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • CHARLEYS and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc disclose 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 (CHARLEYS: 1, Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc: 26). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    CHARLEYS

    $203,736 – $984,732
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $214,000 – $1,915,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $30,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16
    Royalty (Item 6)

    CHARLEYS

    6%
    Royalty rate
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $2.00
    Nontraditional net sales royalty
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    $15,000
    New restaurant initial advertising deposit
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    CHARLEYS

    813
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    288
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 84
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    CHARLEYS

    +141
    Calculated: 672 at end of 2022 → 813 at end of 2024

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    −9
    Calculated: 297 at end of 2023 → 288 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

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

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    1999
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    CHARLEYS

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    CHARLEYS
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $3,077,489
    other Gross sales range high
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Two new company-owned Checkers
    50 percent
    other New company Checkers
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 76
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Checkers Table A ALL CHECKERS RESTAURANTS
    115 restaurants
    other Checkers Table A ALL CHECKERS RESTAURANTS Company- owned
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Checkers Table A ALL CHECKERS RESTAURANTS
    $1,136,589
    other Checkers Table A ALL CHECKERS RESTAURANTS Franchised
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72
    +23 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.

    CHARLEYS vs Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc: common questions

    Which costs less to open, CHARLEYS or Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc?
    CHARLEYS: $203,736 – $984,732 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc: $214,000 – $1,915,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for CHARLEYS. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do CHARLEYS and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc royalties compare?
    CHARLEYS: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12); Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc: $2.00 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, CHARLEYS or Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc?
    CHARLEYS: 813 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49); Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc: 288 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 84). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do CHARLEYS and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    CHARLEYS has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc has reviewed Item 19 figures for 26 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

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