Franopolis
    vs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program vs Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    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.

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program2026 FDDSteak n Shake Franchise Partner Program2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    $316,000 – $2,656,425

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    $259,336

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 26

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    $10,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16

    Royalty · Item 6

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program 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 (Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program: 8, Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program: 2). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    $316,000 – $2,656,425
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    $259,336
    Total Estimated Initial Investment for a free-standing or in-line Restaurant: $259,336 to $997,942
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 26
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    $10,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    5%
    Royalty and System Fee & License Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

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

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    $50
    Custom Marketing Services: $50 to $135 per hour
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    10%
    Marketing monthly maximum gross receipts — 10%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

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

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

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

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional Franchise Restaurants
    59 outlets
    other Traditional Franchise Restaurants sample size
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 75
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Total Franchise Restaurants
    214 outlets
    other Total Franchise Restaurants sample size
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 75
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchise Partner Restaurants — Quartile 2
    25.5 percent
    other Total Labor Cost as % of Net Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78
    +5 more groups in the full report
    Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 155 full-year Franchise Partners
    $190,637
    other First quartile mean
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchise Partners overlastfiveyears; sample notspecified
    $286,276
    other Five-year highest annual earnings
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58

    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.

    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program vs Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program or Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program?
    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program: $316,000 – $2,656,425 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program: $259,336 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 26). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Do Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program and Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program 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.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program report

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

    Full Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program report

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

    Compare Steak n Shake Enterprises Traditional Franchise Program with

    Compare Steak n Shake Franchise Partner Program with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item