Franchise Facts Report → compare → Godfather's Pizza vs Hardee's (sla)
Godfather's Pizza vs Hardee's (sla)
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.
| Godfather's Pizza | Hardee's (sla) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $155,525 – $366,000 | $57,000 – $97,000 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $7,500 | $25,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | — | 6% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | — | $1,343,292 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 592 | 129 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +6 | -5 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 0.3% | — |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | disclosed | 4 |
| Risk level our read | Medium | High |
| FDD year registration | 2025 | 2025 |
Are Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's (sla) the same company?
No — Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's (sla) are franchised by separate companies. Godfather's Pizza's franchisor is GODFATHER'S PIZZA INC; Hardee's (sla)'s is HARDEE'S 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
Hardee's (sla) is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $57,000 – $97,000, against $155,525 – $366,000 for Godfather's Pizza.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Hardee's (sla) disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,343,292), while Godfather's Pizza's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Godfather's Pizza reports 592 franchised outlets, net change +6 in the latest reported year, a 0.3% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Hardee's (sla) reports 129 franchised outlets, net change -5 in the latest reported year (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
Godfather's Pizza discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (case detail in the full report). Hardee's (sla) 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?
Godfather's Pizza vs Hardee's (sla) — frequently asked
Are Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's (sla) the same company?
No — Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's (sla) are franchised by separate companies. Godfather's Pizza's franchisor is GODFATHER'S PIZZA INC; Hardee's (sla)'s is HARDEE'S 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 Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's (sla)?
Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's (sla) are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (GODFATHER'S PIZZA INC and HARDEE'S RESTAURANTS LLC). Hardee's (sla) is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $57,000 – $97,000, against $155,525 – $366,000 for Godfather's Pizza. Only Hardee's (sla) disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,343,292), while Godfather's Pizza's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Godfather's Pizza more profitable than Hardee's (sla)?
Only Hardee's (sla) disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,343,292), while Godfather's Pizza's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Godfather's Pizza or Hardee's (sla)?
Hardee's (sla) is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $57,000 – $97,000, against $155,525 – $366,000 for Godfather's Pizza.
Is Godfather's Pizza or Hardee's (sla) growing faster?
Godfather's Pizza reports 592 franchised outlets, net change +6 in the latest reported year, a 0.3% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Hardee's (sla) reports 129 franchised outlets, net change -5 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Quick-service restaurant rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Godfather's Pizza 2025, Hardee's (sla) 2025). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.