Hardee's - SLA Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Hardee's - SLA franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Hardee's - SLA discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Average revenue FY26: franchised $1,347,436, company-operated $1,370,338. Based on 1,071 franchised freestanding restaurants. 50.1% met/exceeded average. Range $413,015–$3,599,953.
What a Hardee's - SLA franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 5.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 9.5% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $1,385,000 – $2,637,395 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Royalty 3.5–4% varies by location/term; APO 5.5% (up to 7%); HNAF 4.25% (4.5% 6/30/26); multiple tech/support fees; 2026 waived initial fees for certain takeovers
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Hardee's - SLA system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 1,485 |
| Ceased operations | 72 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 12 |
| Transferred to new owners | 10 |
| Closure rate | 4.8% of outlets |
72 ceased operations (2026), declining franchise base (-225 net 2024–2026)
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Hardee's - SLA worth it? — how it compares to 164 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 9.5% of sales | steeper than 81% of quick service restaurants franchises |
| Startup cost | from $1,385,000 | pricier than 89% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 85% of quick service restaurants franchises |
| Closure rate | 4.8% of outlets | worse than 69% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 12 | more litigious than 96% of peers |
Benchmarked against every quick service restaurants franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Hardee's - SLA
The franchisor's framing: Average revenue FY26: franchised $1,347,436, company-operated $1,370,338. Based on 1,071 f… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
Hardee's - SLA franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Hardee's - SLA franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $1,385,000–$2,637,395, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Hardee's - SLA franchise owners make?
- Average revenue FY26: franchised $1,347,436, company-operated $1,370,338. Based on 1,071 franchised freestanding restaurants. 50.1% met/exceeded average. Range $413,015–$3,599,953. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the Hardee's - SLA franchise fees?
- Hardee's - SLA's FDD discloses a $25,000 initial franchise fee, a 4% royalty on gross sales, a 5.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 9.5% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Royalty 3.5–4% varies by location/term; APO 5.5% (up to 7%); HNAF 4.25% (4.5% 6/30/26); multiple tech/support fees; 2026 waived initial fees for certain takeovers
- What is the Hardee's - SLA franchise profit margin?
- Hardee's - SLA does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Average revenue FY26: franchised $1,347,436, company-operated $1,370,338. Based on 1,071 franchised freestanding restaurants. 50.1% met/exceeded average. Range $413,015–$3,599,953. Recurring fees alone take about 9.5% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the Hardee's - SLA franchise failure rate?
- 72 ceased operations (2026), declining franchise base (-225 net 2024–2026)
- How many Hardee's - SLA locations are there?
- Hardee's - SLA's FDD reports 1,485 total outlets, with 72 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 10 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Hardee's - SLA have complaints or lawsuits?
- Hardee's - SLA discloses 12 legal matters in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a Hardee's - SLA franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Hardee's - SLA scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 9.5% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 12 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Hardee's - SLA or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.