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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Sonic Drive-In vs Taco Bell Corp.

    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.

    SDSonic Drive-In2026 FDDTaco Bell Corp.2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Sonic Drive-In

    $1,485,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38

    Taco Bell Corp.

    $152,250 – $1,766,250

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available

    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Sonic Drive-In

    1%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34

    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Taco Bell Corp. 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

    Estimated initial investment (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

    Taco Bell Corp.

    $152,250 – $1,766,250
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Taco Bell Corp.

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

    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

    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Sonic Drive-In

    3,412
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74

    Taco Bell Corp.

    235
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Sonic Drive-In

    −109
    Calculated: 3,521 at end of 2023 → 3,412 at end of 2025

    Taco Bell Corp.

    −1
    Calculated: 236 at end of 2023 → 235 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Taco Bell Corp.

    1964
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Sonic Drive-In

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    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
    Taco Bell Corp.

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    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 Taco Bell Corp.: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Sonic Drive-In or Taco Bell Corp.?
    Sonic Drive-In: $1,485,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 38); Taco Bell Corp.: $152,250 – $1,766,250 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Taco Bell Corp.. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Sonic Drive-In or Taco Bell Corp.?
    Sonic Drive-In: 3,412 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74); Taco Bell Corp.: 235 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Sonic Drive-In and Taco Bell Corp. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Sonic Drive-In has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Taco Bell Corp. makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. 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

    Keep researching

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    Full Sonic Drive-In report

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

    Full Taco Bell Corp. report

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

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