Franchise Facts Report → compare → Traditional Franchise Program vs Johnny Rockets
Traditional Franchise Program vs Johnny Rockets
Two quick-service restaurant franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Traditional Franchise Program | Johnny Rockets | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $316,000 – $2,656,425 | $517,300 – $2,667,900 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | — | $50,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 5% | 6% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | $2,004,086 | $1,643,107 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | — | 98 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | — | -2 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | 4% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Risk level our read | Medium | High |
| FDD year registration | 2026 | 2025 |
Are Traditional Franchise Program and Johnny Rockets the same company?
No — Traditional Franchise Program and Johnny Rockets are franchised by separate companies. Traditional Franchise Program's franchisor is Steak n Shake Enterprises, Inc.; Johnny Rockets's is JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Traditional Franchise Program is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $316,000 – $2,656,425, against $517,300 – $2,667,900 for Johnny Rockets.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation. On the headline average unit revenue each discloses, Traditional Franchise Program reports the higher figure ($2,004,086 vs $1,643,107). Revenue is not profit — the full report breaks out what each brand actually represents.
Closures & failure rate
Traditional Franchise Program's outlet table did not parse cleanly — see its FDD Item 20. Johnny Rockets reports 98 franchised outlets, net change -2 in the latest reported year, a 4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against quick-service restaurant medians.
Litigation
Traditional Franchise Program discloses 5 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Johnny Rockets discloses 3 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against quick-service restaurant peers.
Only looking at one of them?
Traditional Franchise Program vs Johnny Rockets — frequently asked
Are Traditional Franchise Program and Johnny Rockets the same company?
No — Traditional Franchise Program and Johnny Rockets are franchised by separate companies. Traditional Franchise Program's franchisor is Steak n Shake Enterprises, Inc.; Johnny Rockets's is JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Traditional Franchise Program and Johnny Rockets?
Traditional Franchise Program and Johnny Rockets are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (Steak n Shake Enterprises, Inc. and JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC). Traditional Franchise Program is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $316,000 – $2,656,425, against $517,300 – $2,667,900 for Johnny Rockets. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation. On the headline average unit revenue each discloses, Traditional Franchise Program reports the higher figure ($2,004,086 vs $1,643,107). Revenue is not profit — the full report breaks out what each brand actually represents.
Is Traditional Franchise Program more profitable than Johnny Rockets?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation. On the headline average unit revenue each discloses, Traditional Franchise Program reports the higher figure ($2,004,086 vs $1,643,107). Revenue is not profit — the full report breaks out what each brand actually represents.
Which is cheaper to open — Traditional Franchise Program or Johnny Rockets?
Traditional Franchise Program is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $316,000 – $2,656,425, against $517,300 – $2,667,900 for Johnny Rockets.
Is Traditional Franchise Program or Johnny Rockets growing faster?
Traditional Franchise Program's outlet table did not parse cleanly — see its FDD Item 20. Johnny Rockets reports 98 franchised outlets, net change -2 in the latest reported year, a 4% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Quick-service restaurant rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Traditional Franchise Program 2026, Johnny Rockets 2025). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.