US Industry Hub

Burger & Drive-Thru Franchises

Burger franchises span established drive-thru operators and compact walk-up formats, with the model shaping both site requirements and total upfront investment. Each number below comes straight from the brand’s Franchise Disclosure Document: Item 5 for franchise fees, Item 7 for investment ranges, and Item 20 for current unit counts, rather than promotional material.

What a burger franchise actually costs
$449,000entry floor$1,478,600median$10,294,100top of range
12 of 12 brands publish an Item 7 range $1,283,213–$1,839,750 is the middle half 10 of 12 file Item 19 earnings

Each dot is one brand's minimum total investment (FDD Item 7). An entry-cost distribution only — not a promise of return.

12 Burgers & Drive-Thru brands, ranked by entry cost
1CheckersNO FPRHamburger QSR Drive-Thru $449,000–$1,915,000 $20,000 Not disclosed in FDD 332+
2Freddy's Frozen CustardNO FPRFrozen Custard & Steakburgers QSR $854,834–$2,802,000 $35,000 5% 542+
3Five GuysFPRBurgers / QSR $977,850–$1,375,750 $25,000 6% 945+
4Hardee'sFPRQuick Service Restaurant / QSR $1,385,000–$2,637,395 $25,000 4% 1,287+
5Wendy'sFPRFast Casual Hamburger QSR $1,463,457–$2,900,000 $50,000 Not disclosed in FDD 5,546+
6McDonald'sFPRFast Food / QSR $1,472,000–$2,807,000 $45,000 5% 13,062+
7SonicFPRDrive-In QSR $1,485,200–$2,522,900 $15,000 5% 3,120+
8Dairy QueenFPRQuick Service Restaurant / QSR $1,510,100–$2,550,100 $45,000 4% 1,983+
9Carl's Jr.FPRBurgers / QSR $1,816,500–$3,304,700 $25,000 4% 942+
10Jack in the BoxFPRQuick-Service Restaurant (QSR) $1,909,500–$4,041,500 $50,000 5% 1,985+
11Burger KingFPRQuick-Service Restaurant / QSR $2,249,200–$3,320,600 $50,000 4.5% 5,518+
12Culver'sFPRBurgers & Frozen Custard $3,406,350–$10,294,100 $65,000 4% 1,034+

Bar shows each brand's Item 7 range across the $449,000–$10,294,100 span of this category; the lighter block behind it is the middle half of the category (25th–75th percentile). Ranked by lowest entry cost.

Head-to-head inside this category
McDonald's vs Wendy's McDonald's vs Burger King Wendy's vs Burger King
Brands in this industry that do NOT franchise

These are run only through corporate-owned or licensed outlets, so individuals cannot submit a franchise application.

In-N-Out does not franchise
Related US industry hubs
ChickenMexican Fast-Casual
Straight answers
How much does a burger franchise cost?

Across the 12 burgers & drive-thru brands FRANticc tracks in the US with a disclosed investment range, entry cost runs from $449,000 (Checkers) to $3,406,350 (Culver's), per each brand's FDD Item 7.

Which is the cheapest burger franchise?

Checkers has the lowest disclosed minimum investment on this page at $449,000 (FDD Item 7). That is a starting figure, not the total cost of getting to opening day — franchise fee, working capital and any real estate are on top where applicable.

How much do burgers & drive-thru franchise owners make?

Financial Performance Representations (FDD Item 19) are optional under FTC franchise rules, so not every brand publishes one. 10 of 12 brands on this page disclose earnings data in their current FDD; check the individual brand page for what each one discloses. FRANticc does not estimate or promise returns — only figures a brand has itself put in writing.

Can I get SBA financing for a burger franchise?

Many brands in this category are listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, which is what SBA 7(a) lenders check first — but directory listing and loan approval are two different things, and approval also depends on the individual applicant's credit and collateral. Confirm current SBA status directly with the brand and with an SBA-approved lender; FRANticc does not verify per-brand SBA eligibility.

Every figure above is from the brand's current Franchise Disclosure Document (Items 5, 6, 7, 20) on file with FRANticc, US-scoped (country_code=US) — no India data mixed in.
If any figure is incorrect, write to [email protected]