Salty Paws franchise
2025 filing · June 18, 2025Growing
Salty Paws at a glance
An ice cream shop for dogs, serving dog-friendly ice cream flavors along with treats and pet goods. At the end of 2024 there were 9 Salty Paws locations in the US, 7 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Salty Paws Franchise LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2018
- 7 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
- Typical size
- 700–1,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $100K–$164K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenues, paid monthly, plus 2% to the brand fund
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 20% of the then- current franchise fee
- Agreement length
- 5 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2024
- 9
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 7
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- +2
- Franchised locations, 2022–2024
- States
- 7
- Most in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Florida
From Salty Paws Franchise LLC’s 2025 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Salty Paws among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Salty Paws | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $131,800 | Costs less than 81% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 9 | Fewer than 63% of franchises |
How much a Salty Paws franchise costs
Opening one Salty Paws costs an estimated $99,950 to $163,650. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($35,000) and inventory and supplies ($16,000 to $25,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Real Estate Rent Deposits and Pre-Paid Expenses | $4,770 | $15,400 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Décor (including Optional Grooming) | $12,000 | $24,000 | |
| Construction of Leasehold Improvements | $7,000 | $16,500 | |
| Inventory and Supplies | $16,000 | $25,000 | |
| Signage | $900 | $4,500 | |
| Computer and POS System | $630 | $4,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $2,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance (3 months) | $800 | $1,900 | |
| Equipment, TV, Cameras, and other Supplies | $4,000 | $7,000 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $2,000 | ||
| Accountant and Attorney Fees | $2,000 | ||
| Architectural/Engineering | $0 | $7,500 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $850 | ||
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $12,000 | $15,000 | |
| Total | $99,950 | $163,650 | |
Source: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, page 12
Salty Paws franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenues, paid monthly, plus 2% to the brand fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly. |
| Software Fee | Currently $200; up to $500 per month |
| Renewal Fee | 20% of the then- current franchise fee |
| Local Marketing Requirement | 1.5% of Gross Revenue |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from pages 9–11. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Salty Paws 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: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, page 36
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2024 / 2022–2024. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Salty Paws | Typical pet brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −13% / +40% | +2.1% / +50% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 13% / 100% | 3.6% / 11% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 20% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical pet brand is the median of the 27 brands in pet franchises with three years of counts.
How Salty Paws compares
Of the 88 pet franchises on this site, Salty Paws is the 22nd cheapest to open and the 45th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Salty Paws | Typical pet brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $100K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $164K | $434K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6.5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1.9% | 2% |
| US locations | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 71 of 88 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 88 brands in pet franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 (−1) | 3 | +3 | −4 |
| 2023 | 8 (+4) | 2 | +5 | −1 |
| 2024 | 7 (−1) | 2 | 0 | −1 |
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: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, page 37
Where Salty Paws locations are
At the end of 2024, Salty Paws had locations in 7 states. The most are in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Florida.
- Pennsylvania3
- Delaware1
- Florida1
- Maryland1
- New Jersey1
- Virginia1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Delaware | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Florida | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Maryland | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, page 37
Who owns Salty Paws?
Salty Paws franchises are sold by Salty Paws Franchise LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Salty Paws Franchise LLC’s 2025 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 8. |
|---|---|
| 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: Salty Paws Franchise LLC, 2025 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Salty Paws filings
The figures on this page come from Salty Paws Franchise LLC’s 2025 filing, issued June 18, 2025, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | June 18, 2025 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2022–2024 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other pet franchises
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Salty Paws is also on these lists: ice cream franchises, retail franchises.