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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Habitat Burger vs Hardee’s

    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.

    Habitat Burger2026 FDDHHardee’s2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Habitat Burger

    $1,031,500 – $2,864,500

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23

    Hardee’s

    $57,000 – $2,637,395

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Habitat Burger

    $35,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Hardee’s

    $25,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 28

    Royalty · Item 6

    Habitat Burger

    2%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20

    Hardee’s

    3.5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Hardee’s discloses 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 (Habitat Burger: 89, Hardee’s: 2). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Habitat Burger

    $1,031,500 – $2,864,500
    120,000 As Incurred As Incurred Third Parties TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT (9) — 1031500
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23

    Hardee’s

    $57,000 – $2,637,395
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Habitat Burger

    $35,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Hardee’s

    $25,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 28
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Habitat Burger

    2%
    required information or understate required Royalties or the Brand Fee by more than — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20

    Hardee’s

    3.5%
    Royalty — newly-developed restaurants, first 5 years
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Habitat Burger

    2%
    required information or understate required Royalties or the Brand Fee by more than — 2% — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20

    Hardee’s

    7%
    Advertising and promotional obligation maximum — 7%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Habitat Burger

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Hardee’s

    1,485
    Outlets at end of 2026
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Habitat Burger

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Hardee’s

    −113
    Calculated: 1,598 at end of 2024 → 1,485 at end of 2026
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Habitat Burger

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Hardee’s

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

    Habitat Burger

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Hardee’s

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

    Habitat Burger

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Hardee’s

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Habitat Burger
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee Covered Restaurants Tier 4
    $2,765
    other Table A Tier 4
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee Covered Restaurants Tier 1
    $1,185
    other Table A Tier 1
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee Covered Restaurants Tier 3
    $2,073
    other Table A Tier 3
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61
    +86 more groups in the full report
    HHardee’s
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-operated freestanding Hardee's restaurants in the United States during…
    $1,299,224
    other Company-Owned Hardee’s freestanding restaurants
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 75
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised freestanding Hardee’s Restaurants
    $1,294,442
    other Franchised Hardee’s freestanding restaurants
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 75

    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.

    Habitat Burger vs Hardee’s: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Habitat Burger or Hardee’s?
    Habitat Burger: $1,031,500 – $2,864,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 23); Hardee’s: $57,000 – $2,637,395 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Hardee’s. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Habitat Burger and Hardee’s royalties compare?
    Habitat Burger: 2% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20); Hardee’s: 3.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Habitat Burger and Hardee’s disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Habitat Burger has reviewed Item 19 figures for 89 location groups; Hardee’s has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 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 Habitat Burger report

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

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    Full Hardee’s report

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

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