Johnny Rockets
The total investment to open a Johnny Rockets franchise ranges from $202,300 to $865,000. The initial franchise fee is $50,000. Ongoing royalties are 6% plus a 4% advertising fee.
What is the Johnny Rockets franchise?
Johnny Rockets is headquartered in LOS ANGELES, CA, and operates in the full service restaurant category. The brand draws on classic Americana through a 1950s setting with checkered floors, red vinyl booths, and a jukebox playing songs from an earlier era. Its diner style is designed to give guests an experience that goes beyond a standard meal.
The menu focuses on American comfort food, including burgers, crispy fries, and hand spun milkshakes. The brand emphasizes quality, freshness, and familiar flavors that appeal to families and guests seeking a nostalgic meal. As a full service restaurant, Johnny Rockets also centers its model on attentive, friendly service intended to make guests feel welcome and encourage repeat visits.
The Johnny Rockets franchise gives prospective owners access to an established brand and operating model with a defined position in the market. Its concept combines a consistent, energetic dining experience with entertainment, attracting customers who want an engaging outing rather than only a meal. Recognition across multiple age groups supports the brand's appeal in varied geographic locations.
Loan Activity Score
29/100
SBA Default Rate
28.8%
Active Lenders
30
According to its Franchise Disclosure Document or public business records, Johnny Rockets has 36 locations, all owned by franchisees. Public SBA loan records show 30 lenders made 52 loans to franchisees of Johnny Rockets. PeerSense calculates Johnny Rockets's score as 29 out of 100, using public SBA loan performance and recent lending activity.
Franchising since 1986 · 36 locations
$202,300 to $865,000
$50,000
36
36 franchised
Proprietary PeerSense metric
LimitedDistinct lenders in public SBA records for Johnny Rockets
52
Total SBA loans
$516K
Average loan size
Source: public SBA 7(a) and 504 loan records through December 31, 2025
Referral fee at closing
SBA Lending Activity for Johnny Rockets
Loan Activity Score Breakdown
Established (25 to 99 loans)
Are lenders increasingly or decreasingly funding this brand? Growing trends score highest.
Blended default rate (recent + all time) compared to NAICS sector peers.
Quality lenders actively backing this brand, with penalty for lender pullback.
FDD availability, Item 19 disclosure, and overall data completeness.
Geographic spread of SBA funded locations across states.
SBA Lending Performance
SBA Default Rate
28.8%
vs 10.3% peer avg
SBA Loans
52
Total Volume
$26.9M
Active Lenders
30
3 selective
States
15
vs. SBA Sector Average
SBA loan default rate vs. all franchises in the same NAICS sector, not limited to direct competitors
Key Highlights
Franchise Financing Resources
Data Insights
Key performance metrics for Johnny Rockets based on SBA lending data
SBA Default Rate
28.8%
18.5% above peer avg
SBA Loan Volume
52 loans
Across 30 lenders
Lender Diversity
30 lenders
Avg 1.7 loans per lender
Investment Tier
Significant investment
$202,300 to $865,000 total
Johnny Rockets: Deep SBA Data
Brand specific metrics derived directly from SBA 7(a) approval records: peak lending year, leading state, average loan size, and lender concentration. PeerSense computes these per brand so capital advisors and prospective franchisees can benchmark this opportunity against the rest of the franchise universe.
Peak SBA Year
2016
5 approvals. The best year on record for Johnny Rockets.
Top SBA State
California
12 SBA financed Johnny Rockets locations, the densest operator footprint.
Average Loan Size
$516K
Median $448K. Use as a sizing anchor when modeling your own Johnny Rockets unit.
Lender Concentration
25%
Moderately Spread
Share of Johnny Rockets approvals captured by the top 3 SBA lenders.
Johnny Rockets's SBA lending pipeline peaked in 2016 (5 approvals). The last five fiscal years account for 4% of cumulative volume ($1.2M approved). Operator density is highest in California with 12 SBA financed locations. Average funded ticket sits at $516K, with the median at $448K. Lender mix is moderately spread: the top three SBA lenders account for 25% of approvals. Meaningful choice exists, but specific lenders carry the brand.
Payment Estimator
Estimated Monthly Payment
$2,094
Principal & Interest only
Indicative only, as of October 1, 2026. Not a quote, commitment or offer of credit. Final pricing, leverage and terms are determined by the lender at underwriting, after full transaction materials are reviewed. PeerSense sources the file. The lender sets pricing. What these terms mean.
Locations
Johnny Rockets, unit breakdown
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Reviewed by Edward L. Freeman, Founder and Managing Director, PeerSense
- PeerSense is a capital advisory firm that places commercial financing with direct capital sources; it does not lend, fund, or approve loans, and the capital source sets final terms.
- Edward L. Freeman founded PeerSense in January 2020.
- He is a Registered Franchise Consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a credential issued in March 2022, and worked as a franchise consultant there from March 2022 to May 2023.
- His recorded experience includes a $22 million SBA construction loan, with about $16 million funded on the deal.
- In the 12 months through September 30, 2026, PeerSense tracked 912 publicly announced financings with a disclosed size of $361.32 billion. PeerSense Capital Data Report · Methodology page
Last reviewed LinkedIn profileAbout Edward Freeman