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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Chicken Salad Chick 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.

    CSChicken Salad Chick2026 FDDSonic Drive-In2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Chicken Salad Chick

    $802,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Chicken Salad Chick: 6, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    $802,000
    - $998,500 Total Estimated Initial Investment ( D rive - T hru locations only): — 802000
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    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)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    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)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    2%
    ss Sales as a Brand Fund contribution; however, we currently require you to pay — 2 — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    326
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Chicken Salad Chick

    +146
    Calculated: 180 at end of 2023 → 326 at end of 2025

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Chicken Salad Chick

    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)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    CSChicken Salad Chick
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All affiliate
    $1,506,433
    other All affiliate Total Gross Sales Average
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Chart2 affiliate
    44.9 percent
    other Chart2 affiliate exceeding average percent
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Chart1 franchised
    $1,500,394
    other Chart1 franchised Median Unit Volume
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    +3 more groups in the full report
    Sonic 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.

    Chicken Salad Chick vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Chicken Salad Chick or Sonic Drive-In?
    Chicken Salad Chick: $802,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19); 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 Chicken Salad Chick. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Chicken Salad Chick or Sonic Drive-In?
    Chicken Salad Chick: 326 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59); Sonic Drive-In: 3,412 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Chicken Salad Chick and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Chicken Salad Chick has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 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

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    Full Chicken Salad Chick report

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

    Full Sonic Drive-In report

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

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