KongDog franchise
2026 filing · April 23, 2026Growing
KongDog at a glance
A quick-service restaurant selling specialty corndogs, egg dishes and bubble tea. At the end of 2025 there were 34 KongDog locations in the US, 30 franchised and 4 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- KongDog Franchising Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Glenview, Illinois
- Typical size
- 1,200–2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $163K–$661K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of monthly gross revenue, paid monthly; a brand fund contribution may be added later
- Brand fund
- None now
- Not charged at present; up to 2% of monthly gross revenue
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 34
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 30
- Company-owned
- 4
- Change in 3 years
- +20
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 11
- Most in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts
From KongDog Franchising Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
KongDog among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | KongDog | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $411,625 | Costs more than 55% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 34 | More than 58% of franchises |
How much a KongDog franchise costs
Opening one KongDog costs an estimated $162,750 to $660,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements and construction ($10,000 to $200,000) and furniture, fixtures, equipment, computers, and communications system ($30,000 to $159,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Your Training Expenses | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Lease & Utilities deposits | $3,000 | $25,000 | |
| Architectural Plans | $3,000 | $15,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements and Construction | $10,000 | $200,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment, Computers, and Communications System | $30,000 | $159,000 | |
| Signage | $10,000 | $40,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| POS System | $750 | $1,500 | |
| Initial Inventory | $30,000 | $70,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $10,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $12,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $15,000 | $65,000 | |
| Total | $162,750 | $660,500 | |
Source: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, page 13
KongDog franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of monthly gross revenue, paid monthly; a brand fund contribution may be added later. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Not charged at present; up to 2% of monthly gross revenue. |
| Required Minimum Expenditure for Local Marketing and Advertising | A minimum of 2% of monthly Gross Revenue per calendar month. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from page 9. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures KongDog 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: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, page 32
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $430K–$740K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to KongDog franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for KongDog franchisees from 2023 to 2024, $348K 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
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | KongDog | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −19% / +200% | 0% / +5.6% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 19% / 90% | 3.7% / 17% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical fast food brand is the median of the 124 brands in fast food franchises with three years of counts.
How KongDog compares
Of the 309 fast food franchises on this site, KongDog is the 28th cheapest to open and the 131st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | KongDog | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $163K | $353K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $661K | $786K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 34 | 23 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 189 of 309 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 309 brands in fast food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 24 (+14) | 2 | +16 | −2 |
| 2024 | 37 (+13) | 4 | +13 | 0 |
| 2025 | 30 (−7) | 4 | 0 | −7 |
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: fast food franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, page 33
Where KongDog locations are
At the end of 2025, KongDog had locations in 11 states. The most are in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts.
- Illinois12
- New York7
- Massachusetts4
- New Jersey3
- Virginia2
- Indiana1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| New York | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Virginia | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Indiana | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 0 | 1 |
All 11 states
| Rhode Island | 1 |
|---|
Source: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, page 33
Who owns KongDog?
KongDog franchises are sold by KongDog Franchising Inc.
From KongDog Franchising Inc’s 2026 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: KongDog Franchising Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
KongDog filings
The figures on this page come from KongDog Franchising Inc’s 2026 filing, issued April 23, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 23, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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