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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill 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.

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill2026 FDDSDSonic Drive-In2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    $371,400 – $856,100

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    Not available

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill 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 (Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill: 16, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    $371,400 – $856,100
    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)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    6%
    Royalty Fee is 5% of Net Revenues. We have the right to increase the Royalty Fee to — 6%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%
    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)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    1.5%
    Advertising contributions may increase by no more than 2% of Net Revenues in any calendar year, no more than 1% in a calendar year when the Royalty Fee increases from 5% to 6%, and total advertising contributions may not exceed 6% of Net Revenues — 1.5%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Sonic Drive-In

    3,412
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Sonic Drive-In

    −109
    Calculated: 3,521 at end of 2023 → 3,412 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    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)

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

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

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Top third
    5 locations
    other Exceeding average Franchised Top third
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company/affiliate individual location A; paragraph2025/tablecolumn2024 source c…
    $982,653
    other Company location A gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company/affiliate individual location D; paragraph2025/tablecolumn2024 source c…
    $1,107,159
    other Company location D gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    +13 more groups in the full report
    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.

    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill or Sonic Drive-In?
    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill: $371,400 – $856,100 (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 Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?
    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12); Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill has reviewed Item 19 figures for 16 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.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

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    Full Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill report

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

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    Full Sonic Drive-In report

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

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