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    Franchise opportunities compared

    DQ Grill Chill 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.

    DQ Grill Chill2026 FDDSDSonic Drive-In2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    DQ Grill Chill

    $250,000 – $1,200,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 30

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    DQ Grill Chill

    $10,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 21

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    DQ Grill Chill

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 26

    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 (DQ Grill Chill: 23, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    DQ Grill Chill

    $250,000 – $1,200,000
    If you purchase land, your investment for land generally will range from — $250000
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 30

    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)

    DQ Grill Chill

    $10,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 21

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    DQ Grill Chill

    4%
    be the mid-point between the continuing license fee in effect for years 1-5 and — 4%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 26

    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)

    DQ Grill Chill

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    DQ Grill Chill

    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)

    DQ Grill Chill

    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)

    DQ Grill Chill

    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)

    DQ Grill Chill

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    DQ Grill Chill

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    DQ Grill Chill
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Schedule A restaurants
    110 units
    other Schedule A restaurants excluded from Schedule B 2024
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 69
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Schedule A: newly constructed freestanding, franchisee-owned and operated DQ Gr…
    $3,135,208
    other aurants Meeting or Exceeding the Average 45% 44% 42% 44% High Annual Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Schedule B subset: restaurants with usable franchisee P&Ls for the year
    31.76 percent
    other Sales 157 $1,410,815 $3,135,532 $1,376,354 $650,772 70 45%
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 67
    +20 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.

    DQ Grill Chill vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions

    Which costs less to open, DQ Grill Chill or Sonic Drive-In?
    DQ Grill Chill: $250,000 – $1,200,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 30); 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 DQ Grill Chill. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do DQ Grill Chill and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?
    DQ Grill Chill: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 26); Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do DQ Grill Chill and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    DQ Grill Chill has reviewed Item 19 figures for 23 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

    Full DQ Grill Chill report

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

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    Full Sonic Drive-In report

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

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