Franchise opportunities compared
Mai 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
Mai
$5,900 – $26,270
2026 FDD · Item 7Sonic Drive-In
$1,485,200
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Mai
$3,500
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16Sonic Drive-In
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
Mai
Not available
Sonic Drive-In
1%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Mai discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only Sonic Drive-In has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
Financial commitment
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
System scale & health
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Mai
Sonic Drive-In
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
No reviewed Item 19 figures
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.
Mai vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Mai or Sonic Drive-In?
- Mai: $5,900 – $26,270 (2026 FDD · Item 7); 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 Mai. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Mai or Sonic Drive-In?
- Mai: 362 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 70); 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 Mai and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Mai has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file; 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 Mai 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
