Franchise opportunities compared
Simple Plan 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
Simple Plan
$107,650 – $147,900
2026 FDD · Item 7Sonic Drive-In
$1,485,200
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Simple Plan
Not available
Sonic Drive-In
Not available
Royalty · Item 6
Simple Plan
$0.50
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11Sonic Drive-In
1%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Simple Plan 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 (Simple Plan: 1, Sonic Drive-In: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
Simple PlanSimple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
System scale & health
Simple PlanSimple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Simple Plan
Sonic Drive-In
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
Simple PlanItem 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.
Simple Plan vs Sonic Drive-In: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Simple Plan or Sonic Drive-In?
- Simple Plan: $107,650 – $147,900 (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 Simple Plan. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Simple Plan and Sonic Drive-In royalties compare?
- Simple Plan: $0.50 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11); 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, Simple Plan or Sonic Drive-In?
- Simple Plan: 3 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44); 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 Simple Plan and Sonic Drive-In disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Simple Plan has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; 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 Simple Plan 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
