District Dogs franchise
2023 filing · April 28, 2023Shares sales figures
District Dogs at a glance
A dog daycare, boarding, grooming and training facility. At the end of 2022 there were 5 District Dogs locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- DD Franchise LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Typical size
- 2,500–4,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $622K–$1.65M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $49,000
- 10% off for veterans
- Royalty
- 6.9%
- The greater of 6.9% of gross sales or a minimum royalty, paid weekly, plus currently 2% to the national brand fund
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 5
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
From DD Franchise LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
District Dogs among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | District Dogs | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,134,838 | Costs more than 85% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $49,000 | Higher than 62% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6.9% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a District Dogs franchise costs
Opening one District Dogs costs an estimated $622,225 to $1,647,450. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($437,000 to $1,300,000) and rent ($28,125 to $85,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $49,000 | ||
| Rent | $28,125 | $85,000 | |
| Real Estate Security Deposit | $9,000 | $28,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $4,000 | |
| Architect and Engineer | $15,000 | $33,500 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $437,000 | $1,300,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment, signs | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Opening Inventory of Branded Products, Permitted Products, and other Service Products | $1,000 | ||
| Technology Startup Fee and Technology Maintenance Fee | $1,745 | ||
| POS System | $855 | $2,755 | |
| Computer System | $0 | $1,450 | |
| Training Expenses | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Expenses | $5,000 | $6,000 | |
| Insurance(Yearly premium) | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Attorneys or other Professionals | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $45,000 | $70,000 | |
| Total | $622,225 | $1,647,450 | |
Source: DD Franchise LLC, 2023 filing, page 16
District Dogs franchise fee
The franchise fee is $49,000, 10% off for veterans. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: DD Franchise LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 6.9% of gross sales or a minimum royalty, paid weekly, plus currently 2% to the national brand fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales. |
| Technology Maintenance Fee | Currently $250 per month. |
| Transfer Fee | 75% of the then-current IFF |
| Local Advertising Fee | Currently, $500 per month. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: DD Franchise LLC, 2023 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures District Dogs publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: DD Franchise LLC, 2023 filing, page 43
How District Dogs compares
Of the 19 dog daycare franchises on this site, District Dogs is the 10th cheapest to open and the 13th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | District Dogs | Typical dog daycare brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $622K | $622K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.65M | $1.15M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $49K | $49K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6.9% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 5 | 13 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 16 of 19 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 19 brands in dog daycare franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchises for veterans and franchise failure rates.
Source: DD Franchise LLC, 2023 filing, page 48
Who owns District Dogs?
District Dogs franchises are sold by DD Franchise LLC.
From DD Franchise LLC’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: DD Franchise LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 11
District Dogs filings
The figures on this page come from DD Franchise LLC’s 2023 filing, issued April 28, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | April 28, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other dog daycare franchises
All dog daycare franchises
District Dogs is also on these lists: dog grooming franchises, pet franchises.