Franchise opportunities compared
Sonic Drive-In vs Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC
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.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Sonic Drive-In: 8, Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC: 2). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | SDSonic Drive-In |  Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $1,485,200 TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT (excluding free- standing real estate costs) (15) — 1485200 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38 | $1,168,500 – $9,290,400 Cash As Incurred Approved Suppliers & Employees Grand Total 14 (low end) 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $35,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 1% lows: Duration of Effective Royalty Fee Effective Royalty Fee Opening through Year 1 — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34 | 6% Royalty Fee rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee | 2% Marketing Fund Fee maximum — 2% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 6,824 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −218 Calculated: 7,042 at end of 2023 → 6,824 at end of 2025 | Not available Only one year reported |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 21 franchised Spitz Restaurants reporting complete financial performance inform… $1,715,617 other Table 1 average Gross Revenues · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Four affiliate-owned Spitz Restaurants for Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025; all four were… $685,359 other Table 2 average Other Costs · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 |
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.
Sonic Drive-In vs Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Sonic Drive-In or Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC?
- Sonic Drive-In: $1,485,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38); Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC: $1,168,500 – $9,290,400 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Sonic Drive-In and Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC royalties compare?
- Sonic Drive-In: 1% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34); Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Do Sonic Drive-In and Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Sonic Drive-In has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Spitz Radwick Franchising LLC 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.