About Dog Haus Franchise
Dog Haus is a fast casual restaurant franchise specializing in gourmet hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, chicken, and plant based options, all served with signature sauces and a variety of sides and beverages.
The brand puts a creative, elevated spin on classic American comfort food with freshly prepared, cooked to order meals.
The franchise fee is $40,000, and the company has been franchising since 2018.
Dog Haus Franchise Cost & Fees
Minimum Investment
$98K
Average Investment
$638K
Maximum Investment
$1.2M
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | One-time payment upon signing |
| Royalty Fee | 6% of Gross Sales (4% for Remote Kitchens) of gross sales | Ongoing; paid monthly |
| Marketing/Ad Fund | 2% of Gross Sales (0.5% for Remote Kitchens), plus local marketing expenditures (1% of Gross Sales or $3,750/quarter for Fast Casual/Biergarten, 5% of Gross Sales or $6,000/quarter for Remote Kitchen, if required) | National brand fund |
| Total Investment Range | $97,600 – $1,178,187 | Includes build-out, inventory, working capital |
The investment range of $98K–$1.2M reflects variability in build-out costs, store size, lease terms, and market. The combined royalty (6% of Gross Sales (4% for Remote Kitchens)) and marketing fee (2% of Gross Sales (0.5% for Remote Kitchens), plus local marketing expenditures (1% of Gross Sales or $3,750/quarter for Fast Casual/Biergarten, 5% of Gross Sales or $6,000/quarter for Remote Kitchen, if required)) are ongoing costs paid as a percentage of gross sales.
Investment Breakdown (Item 7)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Utility Deposits, Fees & Licenses | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Pre-Construction Cost (Architect, Plans, Permits) | $10,000 | $18,000 |
| Leasehold/Construction | $125,000 | $180,000 |
| Exterior Signage, Artwork; Graphics & Interior Signage | $5,000 | $22,000 |
| POS System and Software; Back Office Computer; Printer and Related Hardware and Software; Sound System; Televisions | $6,223 | $10,987 |
| Equipment/Smallwares; Hood | $50,000 | $85,000 |
| Designated Furniture; Trash Can Caddies & Trash Cans; Menu Boards & Ad Boxes; Drink Station; Railing | $8,525 | $36,000 |
| Opening Inventory | $7,500 | $9,000 |
| Beer & Wine/Liquor License Costs | $1,500 | $7,000 |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $12,500 | $17,500 |
| Franchised Location (Security Deposit and 3 Month’s Rent) | $12,000 | $40,000 |
| Insurance – Liability & Workers’ compensation (initial deposit) | $5,000 | $8,000 |
| Legal Fees/Organizational Expenses | $3,000 | $7,500 |
| Training Expenses (Travel and Living Expenses) | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| ADDITIONAL FUNDS (3 months) | $15,000 | $45,000 |
Additional Fees (Item 6)
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | $17,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 (Franchise Agreement), $10,000 (Area Development Agreement) |
| Audit Fee | Cost of audit (estimated $1,000 - $5,000) plus interest (1.5% per month, not to exceed 18%) |
| Plan Review Fee | $1,500 |
| Late Charge | $200 plus 1-1/2% per month |
| Additional Pre-Opening Initial Training Fee | $3,500 per additional trainee plus expenses |
| Additional Post-Opening Initial Training Fee | $1,500 per week for each trainee plus expenses |
| Post-Opening Additional Training Program Fee | $400 per day for each representative plus expenses |
| Post-Opening On-Site Assistance | $60 per diem for each representative plus expenses |
| Manual Replacement Fee | $500 |
| Inspection Fee | $500 per re-inspection |
| Insurance | Amount of unpaid premiums and franchisor's out of pocket costs |
| Non-Cash Payment System | All costs associated |
| Default Reimbursement | Franchisor's costs and expenses from your default |
| Interim Management Fee | To be determined |
| Gross-Up Fees | Varies with circumstances |
| Sanitation and Food Safety Audits | Cost of the inspection |
| New Product and Supplier Testing | Reasonable cost of inspection and actual cost of testing; $1,000 deposit |
| Annual Conference Fee | $500 |
| Relocation Fee | $5,000 |
| Relocation Assessment | Amount equal to Royalty Fees paid for original restaurant during last preceding calendar year plus an additional 10% |
| Lease Compliance Fee | $10,000 |
| Lease Negotiation Fee | $1,500 |
| Private Offering Fee | $10,000 or greater |
| Administrative Assessments | $100 for 1st, $200 for 2nd, $300 for 3rd+ violation |
Training Program (Item 11)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Total Duration | Approximately 3 weeks virtual, plus 8-13 days in-person |
| Classroom Training | 36 |
| On-the-Job Training | 95 |
| Training Location | Combination of virtual training and in-person training at the franchisor's corporate office or a designated Dog Haus Restaurant, typically in Los Angeles, California. |
| Additional Training | The franchisor may require or offer additional and refresher training programs for new or replacement supervisorial/managerial personnel. Franchisees are also required to attend an Annual Franchise Conference. |
Territory Rights (Item 12)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Territory Type | Protected |
| Exclusive Territory | No |
| Territory Size | 1/2 - 5 mile radius |
| Description | Franchisees are granted a protected territory of a 0.5 to 5-mile radius around their approved location. Within this Protected Area, the franchisor will not own, operate, sell, or issue another Dog Haus Restaurant franchise, provided the franchisee is not in default. However, the franchisor reserves the right to operate other businesses, sell branded products through various channels (e.g., Internet, mail order), and establish units in 'Non-Traditional Venues' both inside and outside the Protected Area without compensation to the franchisee. Remote Kitchen franchisees may be granted non-exclusive rights to fulfill orders in adjacent geographic areas. |
Renewal, Termination & Transfer (Item 17)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initial Term | 10 years |
| Renewal Term | Successive 10 year terms (Franchise Agreement), generally successive 1 year terms (Remote Kitchen Addendum) |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 (Franchise Agreement), $10,000 (Area Development Agreement) |
| Renewal Conditions | Franchisee must notify franchisor 12 months prior to expiration, be in good standing, renovate/modernize the restaurant to current standards, not have committed 3+ material defaults in any 12-month period, satisfy current training requirements, sign a general release, provide a personal guarantee from all equity owners and their spouses, and pay the renewal fee. The new agreement will be the then-current form, which may have materially different terms, and royalty rates will be applicable to new franchisees. |
| Transfer Fee | $17,500 |
| Transfer Conditions | Transfers require franchisor's prior written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld if conditions are met. The proposed transferee must meet current franchisee qualifications (financial, experience, moral character), complete initial training, sign the then-current Franchise Agreement (for the remaining term), and provide a personal guarantee from all equity owners and their spouses. The existing franchisee must be in good standing, sign a general release, guarantee the transferee's obligations, and pay the transfer fee. The restaurant must conform to current appearance and design standards. The franchisor also has a right of first refusal. |
| Termination for Cause | The franchisor can terminate the agreement for various material defaults, some with a cure period (e.g., 5 days for non-payment, 10 days for non-compliance with laws or other curable defaults), and some without an opportunity to cure (e.g., bankruptcy, abandonment, unapproved transfers, repeated defaults, misrepresentations, health/safety violations, trademark misuse, felony conviction, false records, failure to meet site/opening deadlines, purchasing from non-approved suppliers, breach of non-compete, failure to complete training, failure to maintain insurance, abusive language, or unethical conduct). |
| Non-Compete Period | 2 years |
| Non-Compete Details | During the term of the franchise, franchisees and owners cannot directly or indirectly own, engage in, or render services to any 'Competitive Business' (defined as a restaurant preparing/selling gourmet hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, chicken, or plant-based food products as primary menu items, or a business with similar trade dress). After termination or expiration, for a period of 2 years, franchisees and owners cannot engage in a Competitive Business within 2 miles of the former franchised location or any other Dog Haus Restaurant. Violation of the post-term non-compete incurs a payment of 5% of the competitive business's gross revenue to the franchisor for the 2-year period. |
Operations & Supply (Items 8 & 15)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Owner-Operator Required | Yes |
| Participation Details | The Principal Owner must devote 100% of their time and best efforts solely to the operation of the Dog Haus Restaurant and own at least a 10% equity and voting interest (unless a publicly held entity). A General Manager is also required to oversee operations in the Principal Owner's absence. All owners and their spouses must sign a personal guarantee for the franchisee's obligations. |
| Required Suppliers | Franchisees must purchase all Dog Haus Branded Products, Dog Haus Proprietary Products, Virtual Branded Products, and Non-Proprietary Products from franchisor-approved suppliers. Specific approved suppliers include Pyramid Powder (furniture/equipment), Toast, Inc. (POS system, merchant services), OLO (online ordering), LevelUp (mobile app management), Valutec (gift cards), Clayton Kendall (branded products), and PC Music/Dog Haus TV (audio/video for Fast Casual/Biergarten). |
| Supply Restrictions | Franchisees are restricted to purchasing 70-80% of startup and ongoing supplies from approved suppliers or according to franchisor specifications. This includes all branded, proprietary, virtual branded, and non-proprietary products, as well as specific furniture, equipment, POS systems, online ordering platforms, gift card vendors, and audio/video services. Any items not from an approved supplier require franchisor approval, which may involve facility inspections and product testing at the franchisee's expense. |
| Franchisor Revenue from Suppliers | In 2021, DHM (an affiliate) earned $18,995 in revenue from required franchisee purchases. Pyramid Powder (an affiliate) earned $368,420 (38.9% of its revenue) from sales to franchisees. The franchisor itself did not derive revenue from required purchases but received $22,000 in rebates from a beverage supplier (contributed to the Marketing, Creative & Technology Fund) and $500 from McCain Foods (spent on marketing) in 2021. |
Financing (Item 10)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Financing Available | No |
| Description | The franchisor does not offer direct or indirect financing, nor does it guarantee any franchisee notes, leases, or obligations. |
Dog Haus Franchise Earnings — Item 19
Average Revenue
$1.8M
Median Revenue
$1.8M
Revenue Range
$611K – $2.9M
Sample Size
35 units
Past financial performance does not guarantee future results. Individual results will vary.
Dog Haus Litigation & Risk Flags
Clean Litigation RecordDog Haus has no pending litigation actions listed in their FDD. There is also no bankruptcy history disclosed.
Litigation and bankruptcy data is sourced from Items 3 and 4 of the FDD. Always verify current status directly from the most recent FDD.
Dog Haus System Growth
Total Units
51
Franchised
51
Company-Owned
0
Dog Haus currently operates 51 franchised locations and 0 company-owned units. Unit count data is sourced from Item 20 of the FDD.
Unit History (Item 20)
| Year | Opened | Closed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 6 | 3 | 35 |
| 2020 | 9 | 3 | 41 |
| 2021 | 15 | 5 | 51 |
Transfers: 5 | Closures: 6
Public Figures (Item 18)
The following public figures are associated with this franchise: Adam Gertler
Dog Haus Franchise — FAQ
The total investment to open a Dog Haus franchise ranges from $97,600 to $1,178,187, per their Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the initial franchise fee of $40,000. The investment covers build-out, inventory, equipment, signage, working capital, and other startup costs.
Dog Haus charges a royalty fee of 6% of Gross Sales (4% for Remote Kitchens) of gross sales, plus a 2% of Gross Sales (0.5% for Remote Kitchens), plus local marketing expenditures (1% of Gross Sales or $3,750/quarter for Fast Casual/Biergarten, 5% of Gross Sales or $6,000/quarter for Remote Kitchen, if required) contribution to the marketing/advertising fund. These fees are paid on an ongoing basis.
You can download the Dog Haus Franchise Disclosure Document free on this page. The FDD is a public document filed with state franchise registries. Always also request the current FDD directly from Dog Haus to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.
According to the Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD, Dog Haus franchise owners report average revenue of $1.8M and median revenue of $1.8M. This is based on a sample of 35 units. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Dog Haus has been franchising since 2018. The FDD shows an investment range of $97,600-$1,178,187, a 6% of Gross Sales (4% for Remote Kitchens) royalty, and includes an Item 19 earnings disclosure. There is no pending litigation. Review the full FDD and contact current franchisees listed in Item 20 before making any investment decision.
The franchise fee is $40,000 and the total investment ranges from $97,600 to $1,178,187 depending on location size and market. A minimum of $10,000 in liquid capital is required. Contact the franchisor directly for current net worth and liquid capital requirements, territory availability, and application details.
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Data Source & Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or buy a franchise. This profile is based on publicly available FDD data sourced from state franchise registry filings. All information is for research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Data may be outdated or contain errors. Always obtain the current FDD directly from Dog Haus and consult a qualified franchise attorney before making any investment decision. FranchiseOverview.com is operated by Franchising Compliance, LLC and is not affiliated with Dog Haus or any of its subsidiaries. To report an inaccuracy: info@franchiseoverview.com