Franchise Facts Report → compare → Domino's Pizza vs Carl's JR
Domino's Pizza vs Carl's JR
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.
| Domino's Pizza | Carl's JR | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $107,450 – $743,500 | $1,486,000 – $3,176,500 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | — | $25,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 5.5% | 4% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | in report | $2,230,302 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 6,600 | 982 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +162 | -32 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | 2.9% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Risk level our read | Medium | High |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2025 |
Are Domino's Pizza and Carl's JR the same company?
No — Domino's Pizza and Carl's JR are franchised by separate companies. Domino's Pizza's franchisor is DOMINO'S PIZZA FRANCHISING LLC; Carl's JR's is CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS 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
Domino's Pizza is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $107,450 – $743,500, against $1,486,000 – $3,176,500 for Carl's JR.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Closures & failure rate
Domino's Pizza reports 6,600 franchised outlets, net change +162 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Carl's JR reports 982 franchised outlets, net change -32 in the latest reported year, a 2.9% 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
Domino's Pizza discloses 2 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Carl's JR discloses 4 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?
Domino's Pizza vs Carl's JR — frequently asked
Are Domino's Pizza and Carl's JR the same company?
No — Domino's Pizza and Carl's JR are franchised by separate companies. Domino's Pizza's franchisor is DOMINO'S PIZZA FRANCHISING LLC; Carl's JR's is CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS 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 Domino's Pizza and Carl's JR?
Domino's Pizza and Carl's JR are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (DOMINO'S PIZZA FRANCHISING LLC and CARL'S JR. RESTAURANTS LLC). Domino's Pizza is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $107,450 – $743,500, against $1,486,000 – $3,176,500 for Carl's JR. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Is Domino's Pizza more profitable than Carl's JR?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Which is cheaper to open — Domino's Pizza or Carl's JR?
Domino's Pizza is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $107,450 – $743,500, against $1,486,000 – $3,176,500 for Carl's JR.
Is Domino's Pizza or Carl's JR growing faster?
Domino's Pizza reports 6,600 franchised outlets, net change +162 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Carl's JR reports 982 franchised outlets, net change -32 in the latest reported year, a 2.9% 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 (Domino's Pizza 2024, Carl's JR 2025). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.