Dairy Queen (DQ Grill & Chill) franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.33 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$0 to $25,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

4% · % of monthly Gross Sales (4% for DQ Grill & Chill restaurant, 5% for DQ Treat store), due 10th of following month or weekly if required

Marketing contribution

Not captured

Technology fee

$1,200-$1,600 annually (EPOS Software Support Program)

Other fees

EPOS Software Support ~$1,200-$1,600/yr; Gift Card Program fee (3% of gift card redemptions); Internet Connection $10-$80/month

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

$50,000-$200,000 for a DQ Grill & Chill restaurant; $40,000-$155,000 for a DQ Treat store (3-6 months of additional funds/working capital)

Fees sourceFDD p.25 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.33 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Gross Sales (high, low, average, median)

Reporting period

Calendar years 2025 and 2024

Sample

40 subfranchised free-standing DQ Grill & Chill restaurants that operated the entire year in Montana and North Dakota (21 MT, 19 ND) for each of 2025 and 2024

Reported average

$1,775,019

Reported median

$1,679,101

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.70 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

74

Year-end outlets

74

Net change

+0

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

0

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

7

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.73 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

216 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$646,850

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

88 loans

Historical charge-off share

2.23%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

9 / 404

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Dairy Queen (DQ Grill & Chill) franchise cost?

DQ Grill & Chill restaurant: $1,664,700 to $2,793,700; DQ Treat store: $634,500 to $1,786,700 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $0 to $25,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.33 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Dairy Queen (DQ Grill & Chill) owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Gross Sales (high, low, average, median). Sample: 40 subfranchised free-standing DQ Grill & Chill restaurants that operated the entire year in Montana and North Dakota (21 MT, 19 ND) for each of 2025 and 2024. Period: Calendar years 2025 and 2024.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.70 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Dairy Queen (DQ Grill & Chill)?

2.23%; numerator / denominator: 9 / 404. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $646,850; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 88 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗