Carl's Jr Franchise Analysis

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Carl's Jr is a Franchise Grade Made The Grade™ franchise, which means it's ranked highly by our analysts.

Franchise Info

Carl's Jr. offers a limited menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner products and featuring charbroiled 100% Black Angus Thickburger sandwiches, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, Made from Scratch Biscuits, and other related quick serve menu items.

How much does an Carl's Jr business cost to open?

Carl's Jr has an initial franchise fee of up to $35,000, with a overall initial investment range of $1,375,000 to $2,003,500.

  • Initial Franchise Fee: $35,000
  • Total Investment: $1,375,000 to $2,003,500
  • Working Capital: $160,000 to $301,500
  • Royalty Fee: 5.5%

The initial cost of any franchise opportunity includes many fees. Explore this investment opportunity to better understand the initial costs required to buy an Carl's Jr, such as franchise fees, leasehold improvement costs, grand opening marketing, and furniture and fixtures purchases. It should be noted that, franchisors are required to disclose all initial fees. These fees include those that are actually paid when signing the franchise agreement and commitments to fees you are required to pay.

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How much does an Carl's Jr owner make?

As with any new business, the franchise owner's salary and the profits from a Carl's Jr business depends on a lot of different factors. One way to validate the potential revenues or profits earned from a Carl's Jr franchise investment is to review the franchisor's Item 19 within their Franchise Disclosure Document. Typically, profits and owner's income are equitable to the size of the investment and number of locations you purchase. Demand for your products, your labor costs, commercial lease rates and several other variables also play a huge role in your profit margin and your personal salary

For additional information and franchise specific on the profits of an Carl's Jr franchise opportunity, unlock this franchise

How many franchise locations does Carl's Jr franchise system have?

As of the 2017 Franchise Disclosure Document, there are 1,041 franchised Carl's Jr locations across the United States.

Did you know there are over 3,000 franchise opportunities across the United States. More than 80% have less than 10 locations.

Are there any Carl's Jr franchise opportunities near me?

Based on 2017 FDD analysis, Carl's Jr has franchised locations in 15 states. There may be no locations in several states as each franchise company plans their growth strategy differently. Specific states also require franchise companies to register their franchise opportunity and file their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) with state examiners prior to offering franchise opportunities to residents in that state. These registration states have examiners review a franchisor's FDD to ensure it satisfies state regulatory requirements. In addition to registration states, additional states have enacted supplemental franchise or business opportunity laws that require franchise companies to provide their franchise within the state. In most instances the filing is a notice within the state. Unlike franchise registration states, the franchise filing states do not examine a franchisor's FDD.

AK
AZ
CA
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NM
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WA
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Based on the data collected this franchise opportunity is growing into new locations and might be available in your city.

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Last Reviewed: 2017

Carl's Jr Franchise INFORMATION

Total Investment
$1,375,000 - $2,003,500
Franchise Fee
$35,000
Franchise agreement
Initial Term
20 Years
Renewal Term
5 Years
Franchise outlet growth
2015
765
2017
1,041
Ongoing fees
Royalty
5.5%
ad fees
0.0%
# of franchised outlets
1,041

EXTRA INFORMATION

Do they provide any initial training and opening assistance?

Yes, they have an initial training program of 875 hours. This includes 82 hours of classroom training, 793 hours of on-the-job training, and N/A hours of online training. In their FDD they outline who's in charge of the training. Unlock to find out more.


Online N/A
On-the-Job 793
Classroom 82
Total 875

Do they provide Territory Rights?

Carl's Jr does NOT offer territory protections. For an explanation of territory rights, unlock this franchise for important details.

Do they have marketing and technology support in place?

No, Carl's Jr does NOT offer comprehensive support for franchisees.


How long ago did Carl's Jr start franchising?

They began franchising in 1984. The average Burgers franchise began franchising in 1994.


Do they offer lending options?

No, but you can click here to fill out our affordability calculator and understand your financing options.

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  • What are the historical franchisee earnings?
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  • Are they affiliated with any other franchise brands or private equity investment groups?
  • How many new outlets have they opened in the last 5 years?
  • How many franchised outlets have closed in the last 5 years?
  • How many new outlets have they sold in the last 5 years?
  • How many franchised outlets have terminated in the last 5 years?
  • Do they operate any corporate or affiliate owned outlets?
  • How long is their initial and renewal term lengths?
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  • How long has the franchisor been in business?
  • Are they expanding internationally?
  • How are the royalty, advertising and marketing funds administered and managed by the franchisor?
  • How are territories defined?
  • What is the role of technology in the operation of the franchise?
  • Why has new franchise outlet growth been so low?
  • What are the critical requirements for operating a successful franchised location in this system?
  • Are you required to work in the outlet or is this a passive investment opportunity?
  • Do they offer multi-unit discounts for buying more than one franchise location?
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