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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Happys Pizza vs Hardees Restaurants

    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.

    Happys Pizza2025 FDDHardees Restaurants2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Happys Pizza

    $791,100

    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 27

    Hardees Restaurants

    $198,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 39

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Happys Pizza

    Not available

    Hardees Restaurants

    $25,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 28

    Royalty · Item 6

    Happys Pizza

    Not available

    Hardees Restaurants

    3% · i) — 3%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 38

    Before you compare

    • Happys Pizza figures come from its 2025 FDD and Hardees Restaurants figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Happys Pizza: 4, Hardees Restaurants: 2). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Happys Pizza

    $791,100
    Initial Investment – Restaurant #3 $263,700 $619,250 Varies Varies Varies Total — 791100
    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 27

    Hardees Restaurants

    $198,000
    00 $250,000 As arranged As incurred Vendors, HR Total Preliminary Operating Expenses — 198000
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 39
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Happys Pizza

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Hardees Restaurants

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

    Happys Pizza

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Hardees Restaurants

    3% · i) — 3%
    ment and Franchised Agreement, we will reduce each of the royalty fee and APO by
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 38
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Happys Pizza

    2%
    Though we have the right to collect an Additional Marketing Contribution up to — 2 — 2%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Hardees Restaurants

    4.25% of “hnaf”) currently, — 4.25%
    d by the Franchise Agreement. Hardee’s National Advertising Fund
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Happys Pizza

    54
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 60

    Hardees Restaurants

    198
    Outlets at end of 2026
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Happys Pizza

    −2
    Calculated: 56 at end of 2022 → 54 at end of 2024

    Hardees Restaurants

    −6
    Calculated: 204 at end of 2024 → 198 at end of 2026
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Happys Pizza

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Hardees Restaurants

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

    Happys Pizza

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Hardees Restaurants

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

    Happys Pizza

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Hardees Restaurants

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Happys Pizza
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All Standard Restaurants
    50 restaurants
    other All Standard Restaurants
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Bottom 25 Standard Restaurants
    60 percent
    other Bottom 25 Standard Restaurants
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top 25 Standard Restaurants
    32 percent
    other Top 25 Standard Restaurants
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58
    +1 more groups in the full report
    Hardees Restaurants
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — USfreestandingHardee’s
    88 restaurants
    other Company-owned
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 75
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — USfreestandingHardee’s
    50.1 percent
    other Franchised
    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.

    Happys Pizza vs Hardees Restaurants: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Happys Pizza or Hardees Restaurants?
    Happys Pizza: $791,100 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 27); Hardees Restaurants: $198,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 39). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Hardees Restaurants. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Happys Pizza or Hardees Restaurants?
    Happys Pizza: 54 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 60); Hardees Restaurants: 198 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Happys Pizza and Hardees Restaurants disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Happys Pizza has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 location groups; Hardees Restaurants 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 Happys Pizza report

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

    Full Hardees Restaurants report

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

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