Dolly Llama franchise
2022 filing · April 19, 2022
Dolly Llama at a glance
A dessert shop serving Hong Kong style waffles, ice cream and churros. At the end of 2021 there were 3 Dolly Llama locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- DL Franchise Group LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2020
- 2 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Los Angeles, California
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $141K–$435K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
From DL Franchise Group LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Dolly Llama among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Dolly Llama | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $288,340 | Costs less than 58% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a Dolly Llama franchise costs
Opening one Dolly Llama costs an estimated $141,380 to $435,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold/construction ($15,000 to $170,000) and equipment/smallwares, interior signage, graphics & art ($25,000 to $65,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUILD-OUT COSTS Utility Deposits, Fees & Licenses | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Pre-Construction Cost (Architect, Plans, Permits) | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Leasehold/Construction | $15,000 | $170,000 | |
| FURNITURE, FIXTURES, EQUIPMENT & SIGNAGE ExteriorSignage | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| POS Systemand Software; Back Office Computer, Printer and Related Hardware and Software; Sound System; Televisions | $380 | $2,300 | |
| Equipment/Smallwares, Interior Signage, Graphics & Art | $25,000 | $65,000 | |
| OTHER EXPENSES Furniture and Fixtures | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $20,000 | $25,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Franchised Location(Lease Deposit and First 3 Months’ Rent) | $12,000 | $30,000 | |
| Insurance-Liability &Workers’ compensation (initial deposit) | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Legal Fees/Organizational Expenses | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $3,000 | $10,000 | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| ADDITIONAL FUNDS (3 months) | $10,000 | $35,000 | |
| Total | $141,380 | $435,300 | |
Source: DL Franchise Group LLC, 2022 filing, page 18
Dolly Llama franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: DL Franchise Group LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%. |
| Renewal Fee (Franchise Agreement) | $5,000 |
| Local Advertising | Currently,1% of Gross Sales of the Dolly Llama Shop |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: DL Franchise Group LLC, 2022 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Dolly Llama does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: DL Franchise Group LLC, 2022 filing, page 54
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $340K–$600K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Dolly Llama franchisees
Lenders approved 6 SBA 7(a) loans for Dolly Llama franchisees from 2022 to 2023, $1.16M in all. None has been paid off or charged off yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Dolly Llama compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, Dolly Llama is the 15th cheapest to open and the 79th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Dolly Llama | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $141K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $435K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 3 | 18 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 76 of 101 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 101 brands in ice cream franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 3 | 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: ice cream franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: DL Franchise Group LLC, 2022 filing, page 55
Who owns Dolly Llama?
Dolly Llama franchises are sold by DL Franchise Group LLC.
From DL Franchise Group LLC’s 2022 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: DL Franchise Group LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Dolly Llama filings
The figures on this page come from DL Franchise Group LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 19, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 19, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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