Franchise opportunities compared
El Pollo Loco 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
El Pollo Loco
$793,750
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 33Sonic Drive-In
$1,485,200
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38Initial franchise fee · Item 5
El Pollo Loco
$40,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15Sonic Drive-In
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
El Pollo Loco
Not available
Sonic Drive-In
1%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (El Pollo Loco: 34, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
El Pollo LocoEl Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
System scale & health
El Pollo LocoEl Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
El Pollo Loco
Sonic Drive-In
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
El Pollo LocoItem 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.
El Pollo Loco vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions
- Which costs less to open, El Pollo Loco or Sonic Drive-In?
- El Pollo Loco: $793,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 33); 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 El Pollo Loco. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, El Pollo Loco or Sonic Drive-In?
- El Pollo Loco: 503 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 91); 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 El Pollo Loco and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- El Pollo Loco has reviewed Item 19 figures for 34 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.
Keep researching
Full El Pollo Loco 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
