How much does a Sonic Drive-In franchise cost?
Opening a Sonic Drive-In franchise takes a total initial investment of $1,485,200 to $2,522,900, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median AUV of $1,465,090 across 3,057 outlets.
Sonic franchises Sonic Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Sonic Drive-In franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $1,485,200 to $2,522,900. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Building costs ($600,000 to $800,000), Site work ($450,000 to $700,000), and Restaurant equipment ($175,000 to $310,000). Together they make up about 72% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $15,000, about 1.0% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $15,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Travel and living expenses during training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $8,200 | $93,600 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Crew training expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $15,200 | $42,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Prepaid expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $2,000 | $125,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Building costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 | $600,000 | $800,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29 |
| Site work2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $450,000 | $700,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Restaurant equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $175,000 | $310,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Point-of-sale system (“POS”), digital menu housings (“POPS”) & other technology2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $105,000 | $160,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| External Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $50,000 | $80,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Beginning Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $20,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Advertising funds2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $2,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Insurance premiums2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $11,000 | $22,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Payroll2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $26,800 | $94,800 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Additional funds (3 months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 | $5,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 30 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29-30 | $1,485,200 | $2,522,900 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29-30 |
Source Sonic Drive-In, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 29-30, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-20.
Item 19
What Sonic Drive-In franchisees actually report earning
Median AUV
$1,465,090
Sonic Drive-In's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025 fiscal year, from December 30, 2024 until December 28, 2025. Basis: The 2025 Franchised Restaurants, consisting of the remaining 3,057 franchised Traditional Restaurants.
Sample size: 3,057 outlets. The FDD also reports average AUV of $1,552,145. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- The FDD excluded all 29 franchised Sonic Restaurants that first opened for business during 2025 and did not operate for the full year.
- The FDD excluded all 23 franchised Sonic Restaurants that were closed and reported no sales for extended periods during 2025.
- The FDD excluded the one franchised Sonic Restaurant that operated at a Multi-Brand Location.
- The FDD excluded all 10 franchised Sonic Restaurants that operated at Non-Traditional Locations and had results that may not be typical for Traditional Drive-Ins.
- The FDD excluded all 3 Sonic Restaurants transferred to franchisees in December 2025 because they were company-owned for a significant portion of the year.
- The FDD excluded the 56 franchised Sonic Restaurants that closed in 2025, all of which were open for at least 12 months before they closed.
- The FDD excluded all company-owned Sonic Restaurants operated by Sonic or its affiliates as of the end of 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Sonic Drive-In outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Sonic Drive-In, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 63-64, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-20.
Item 20
How many Sonic Drive-In outlets there are, and how many closed
Sonic Drive-In ended 2025 with 3,120 franchised outlets and 292 company-owned outlets. In that year 32 franchised outlets opened and 56 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Sonic Drive-In opened 85 franchised outlets and 185 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 100, from 3,220 to 3,120 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 16 were terminated and 169 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 1.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 52.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,144 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 3,120 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 71 |
| 2024 | 3,194 | 30 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 3,144 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 71 |
| 2023 | 3,220 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 3,194 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 71 |
Source Sonic Drive-In, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 71, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-20.
Compare
How Sonic Drive-In compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Sonic Drive-In's estimated range is $2,004,050. It costs more to open than 91% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 1.9% for Sonic Drive-In. That is lower than 83% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Sonic Drive-In's franchised system shrank 3.1%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Sonic Drive-In is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Sonic Drive-In files a new FDD
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