Taco John's vs McDonald's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Taco John's vs McDonald's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
  Taco John's McDonald's
Investment 475000 - 1599000 1314500 - 2306500
Franchise Fee 0 0
Royalty Fee 5% 4%
Advertising Fee 4% 4%+
Year Founded 1968 1955
Year Franchised 1969 1955
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements
  Taco John's McDonald's
Experience Industry experience General business experience Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills

Financing Options
  Taco John's McDonald's
 
Franchise Fees No No
Start-up Costs No No
Equipment No No
Inventory No No
Receivables No No
Payroll No No

Training & Support
  Taco John's McDonald's
Training On-The-Job Training: 500 hours Classroom Training: 72 hours Additional Training: At local McDonald's restaurant
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations 37% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 15 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (75% of current franchisees are owner/operators) 82% of all franchisees own more than one unit Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
  Taco John's McDonald's
US Expansion Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
International Expansion Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile
Investment
Taco John's
McDonald's
Franchise Fee
Taco John's
McDonald's
Royalty Fee
Taco John's 5%
McDonald's 4%
Advertising Fee
Taco John's 4%
McDonald's 4%+
Year Founded
Taco John's 1968
McDonald's 1955
Year Franchised
Taco John's 1969
McDonald's 1955
Term Of Agreement
Taco John's 20 years+10+10+10
McDonald's 20 years
Renewal Fee
Taco John's
McDonald's $45K


Business Experience Requirements
Experience
Taco John's Industry experience General business experience
McDonald's Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills

Financing Options
 
Franchise Fees
Taco John's No
McDonald's No
Start-up Costs
Taco John's
McDonald's
Equipment
Taco John's}
McDonald's
Inventory
Taco John's
McDonald's
Receivables
Taco John's
McDonald's
Payroll
Taco John's
McDonald's

Training & Support
Training
Taco John's
McDonald's On-The-Job Training: 500 hours Classroom Training: 72 hours Additional Training: At local McDonald's restaurant
Support
Taco John's Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
McDonald's Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software
Marketing
Taco John's Co-op advertising, Ad slicks
McDonald's Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations
Taco John's 37% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 15 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (75% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
McDonald's 82% of all franchisees own more than one unit Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
US Expansion
Taco John's Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
McDonald's Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
Taco John's
McDonald's
International Expansion
Taco John's
McDonald's Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe