What year did Checkers begin franchising Checkers Restaurants?
Checkers Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We have owned, operated and franchised Checkers Restaurants since 1991. We have owned, operated and franchised Rally's Restaurants since our merger with Rally's Hamburgers, Inc. in August 1999. Before that, our predecessor, Rally's Hamburgers, Inc., owned and operated Rally's restaurants since 1985 and offered franchises for Rally's Restaurants since 1986. We are engaged only in business activities that relate to Restaurants and have not offered franchises in other lines of business.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 9–14)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Checkers' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Checkers has been franchising Checkers Restaurants since 1991. The document also states that Checkers has owned, operated, and franchised Rally's Restaurants since August 1999, following their merger with Rally's Hamburgers, Inc.
For a prospective franchisee, this indicates that Checkers has over three decades of experience in franchising its brand. This extensive history may provide a level of stability and established systems that could be beneficial. It also demonstrates that Checkers has experience with mergers and acquisitions, which could be relevant if the brand undergoes further changes in the future.
It's important to note that Rally's Hamburgers, Inc., the predecessor to the current Rally's franchise, had been offering franchises since 1986. This pre-merger franchising experience further underscores the long-term involvement of the Checkers organization in the franchise industry.