10 Best Burger Franchises with Drive-Thru Lanes

Are you searching for a list of the best burger franchises with drive-thru lanes?

At Jack in the Box, we understand how this can be a difficult decision because there are so many options to choose from.

In this article, we’ll highlight ten of the best burger franchises with drive-thru lanes in no particular order.

Jack in the Box

We simply had to put ourselves on this list because of our innovative menu, flexible restaurant designs, and franchise opportunities in prime U.S. markets.

Jack in the Box offers a large and distinctive 24/7 menu with five dayparts to our customers. This means you can get anything on our menu at any time – day or night.

Did you know around 90% of our 500M annual guests choose drive-thru or take-out because of the speed and convenience it offers?

Our drive-thru has become such an important piece of our business model that our new prototype doesn’t even have an inside dining room.

Instead, we built a dual drive-thru lane with two order stations and a covered walk-up window for pick-up, mobile, and take-out orders to expedite the purchasing process.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is certainly one of the most popular drive-thru franchises in the world. It’s hard to find anyone who isn’t familiar with their “I’m Lovin’ It” advertising campaign.

They currently have more than 38,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 93% of McDonald’s restaurants are owned and operated by independent local business owners.

The availability of restaurants in specific areas is uncertain until you’ve completed your franchisee training. You may be required to relocate to your nearest restaurant opportunity.

Wendy’s

In 1969, Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. It didn’t take long for their quick-service chain restaurant to become famous for square beef patties and Frosty desserts.

Today, they operate 7,000 restaurants worldwide and are looking for new and diverse franchisees to join their team.

They have a variety of limited and available markets throughout the U.S. with a focus on California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts.

Burger King

Burger King currently has more than 7,000 restaurants across the U.S. with opportunities for growth across the U.S. and international markets.

This drive-thru franchise is known for creating signature recipes and providing family-friending dining experiences. Every day, more than 11 million guests visit Burger King restaurants around the world.

They empower franchisees with built-in support for ongoing operations along with training to gain access and know-how across all aspects of the business.

Whataburger

The story of Whataburger began at a 24-hour burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. 70 years later, they have grown to more than 890 locations throughout the United States.

Their original idea was to serve a burger so big it took two hands to hold, and so good it caused customers to exclaim, “What a burger!” after their first bite.

Whataburger was family-owned until their recent acquisition by an investment company. This has allowed for more franchises to open in new markets.

Culver’s

Culver’s is a drive-thru burger franchise known for their frozen custard, butterburgers, and cheese curds.

Since 1984, they have grown from their first location in Sauk City, Wisconsin to more than 800 restaurant locations in 25 different states.

They are looking for owner-operators with the skills to take a team of people and operate a Culver’s according to their high standards.

Freddy’s

Freddy’s is a nostalgic fast-casual restaurant with cooked-to-order steakburgers, hot dogs, shoestring fries, and frozen custard.

They are one of the fastest-growing franchises in the United States with 400 locations around the world.

Currently, they offer exclusive territories that are available across the U.S. along with international opportunities.

Checkers & Rally’s

Not too long ago, these two burger franchises used to be independent drive-thru restaurants.

In 1999, Checkers acquired Rally’s and joined the two brands to create one unique franchise opportunity.

Both of these burger restaurants offer dual drive-thru lanes and operate with the same menu provided by the same distributors.

As of 2023, they are headquartered in Tampa, FL and have a combined 878 locations throughout the United States.

Steak ‘n Shake

Steak ‘n Shake is an American casual restaurant famous for their steakburgers and milkshakes and old-school style.

They operate 414 corporate restaurants with 214 franchised establishments for a total of 628 in the United States, Europe, and Middle East.

However, instead of multi-unit franchise ownership they’re looking for “Franchise Partners” to take over operations of company-owned Steak ‘n Shake locations.

Carl’s Jr & Hardee’s

Since 1997, Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s have been sister companies of, CKE Restaurants, their parent company.

Hardee’s is known as the east coast equivalent of Carl’s Jr. However, both of these burger franchises can be found around the world.

As of 2016, CKE Restaurants has a total of 3,664 franchised and company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 38 foreign countries.

Check Out These Additional Resources

We hope this list of the best burger franchises with drive-thru lanes helped you narrow down your search.

At Jack in the Box, we’re looking for multi-unit franchisees who are excited to bring our craveable 24/7 menu to new markets across the country.

Here are some additional online resources you may like to check out:

• How Much Does a Jack in the Box Franchise Cost?
• 7 Most Popular Reasons to Buy a Franchise
• Which Burger Franchise Makes the Most Money?

If you have any questions, please contact our franchise sales and support team.