Which costs less to open, Saladworks or Sonic Drive-In?

Saladworks: $484,000 – $738,600 (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 Saladworks. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

How do Saladworks and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?

Saladworks: $6.00 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19); Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.

Which has more locations, Saladworks or Sonic Drive-In?

Saladworks: 84 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52); 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 Saladworks and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Saladworks 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.

Franchise opportunities compared

Saladworks 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.

Saladworks2026 FDD SDSonic Drive-In2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Saladworks

$484,000 – $738,600

2026 FDD · Item 7

Sonic Drive-In

$1,485,200

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Saladworks

$105,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

Sonic Drive-In

Not available

Royalty · Item 6

Saladworks

$6.00

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Sonic Drive-In

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

Before you compare

Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
Saladworks 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

Disclosure

Saladworks

SDSonic Drive-In

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Saladworks

$484,000 – $738,600

2026 FDD · Item 7

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)

Saladworks

$105,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

Sonic Drive-In

Not available

No single standard fee identified

Royalty (Item 6)

Saladworks

$6.00

Royalty fee

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Sonic Drive-In

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)

Saladworks

$3.00

Brand Development Fund Contribution

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Sonic Drive-In

Not available

No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

System scale & health

Disclosure

Saladworks

SDSonic Drive-In

Total outlets (Item 20)

Saladworks

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52

Sonic Drive-In

3,412

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Saladworks

−15

Calculated: 99 at end of 2023 → 84 at end of 2025

Sonic Drive-In

−109

Calculated: 3,521 at end of 2023 → 3,412 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Saladworks

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)

Saladworks

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Sonic Drive-In

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Saladworks

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Sonic Drive-In

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Saladworks

No reviewed Item 19 figures

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.

Saladworks vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions

Which costs less to open, Saladworks or Sonic Drive-In?: Saladworks: $484,000 – $738,600 (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 Saladworks. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Saladworks and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?: Saladworks: $6.00 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19); Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Saladworks or Sonic Drive-In?: Saladworks: 84 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52); 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 Saladworks and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Saladworks 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.

How Franopolis reviews FDD figures