Franchise opportunities compared

    Dog Haus 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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Dog Haus

    $357,437 – $625,800

    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Dog Haus

    $40,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Dog Haus

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Before you compare

    • Dog Haus figures come from its 2025 FDD and Sonic Drive-In figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Dog Haus: 9, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Dog Haus

    $357,437 – $625,800
    Single Fast Casual Restaurant — Grand total: $357437 to $625800
    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23

    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)

    Dog Haus

    $40,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Dog Haus

    6%
    Royalty — Fast Casual/Biergarten
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    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)

    Dog Haus

    0.5%
    Marketing, Creative & Technology Fee — Remote Kitchen current — 0.5%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Dog Haus

    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)

    Dog Haus

    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)

    Dog Haus

    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)

    Dog Haus

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Dog Haus

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Dog Haus
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Dog Haus Biergartens, open more than one year as of December 31, 2022
    15 outlets
    other Table 6
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 76
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Dog Haus Remote Kitchens, open more than one year as of December 31,…
    $1,141,491
    other Table 7
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 77
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Dog Haus Remote Kitchens, open more than one year as of December 31,…
    3 outlets
    other Table 9
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 77
    +6 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.

    Dog Haus vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Dog Haus or Sonic Drive-In?
    Dog Haus: $357,437 – $625,800 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23); 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 Dog Haus. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Dog Haus and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?
    Dog Haus: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15); Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Dog Haus and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Dog Haus has reviewed Item 19 figures for 9 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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