Carl's Jr. franchise
A quick-service restaurant serving burgers, breakfast and other meals. At the end of its 2026 fiscal year there were 992 Carl's Jr. locations in the US, 942 franchised and 50 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $1.82M–$3.3M
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Royalty
- 4% of gross sales
- Locations, 2026
- 992−78 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- Not on the SBA Franchise Directory
From CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Carl's Jr. franchise costs
Opening Freestanding restaurant costs an estimated $1,816,500 to $3,304,700. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC, 2026 filing, page 36
Carl's Jr. franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC, 2026 filing, page 26
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC, 2026 filing, page 27
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Carl's Jr. publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC, 2026 filing, page 72
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,014 (−6) | 49 | 15 |
| 2025 | 982 (−32) | 50 | 39 |
| 2026 | 942 (−40) | 50 | 45 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. The 2026 fiscal year ended January 26, 2026; it is not a calendar-year 2026 count.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
Source: CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC, 2026 filing, page 78
How Carl's Jr. compares
Of the 22 burger franchises on this site, Carl's Jr. is the 19th cheapest to open and the 9th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Carl's Jr. | Typical burger |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.82M | $1.18M |
| Royalty | 4% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 3.3% | 2% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | −7.6% | −2.2% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 15 of 22 |
Typical is the median across the 22 brands in burger franchises.
