At a Glance
About Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen is a franchise opportunity in the restaurant and food service sector. The quick-service and casual dining category remains one of the more active corners of franchising, and Dairy Queen competes within it with a defined operating model.
Opening a Dairy Queen franchise calls for an estimated total investment of $1,510,100–$2,550,100. That figure includes an initial franchise fee of $45,000, along with costs such as equipment, buildout, signage, initial inventory, and working capital.
Dairy Queen includes a financial performance representation (Item 19) in its current FDD, meaning the franchisor discloses figures on unit-level sales or earnings. Reviewing Item 19 alongside validation calls with existing franchisees is the best way to gauge realistic performance.
Use Franchat to review Dairy Queen's numbers, download the current FDD, and benchmark it against comparable food service franchises before you invest.
Financial Performance (Item 19)
ADQ discloses system-wide Gross Sales data for DQ Grill & Chill restaurants for 2022-2025 (Schedule A), plus a subset P&L breakdown of Cost of Goods, Labor, Restaurant Controllables, and Manageable Profit percentages (Schedule B). For 2025, 286 qualifying restaurants averaged $1,485,731 in Gross Sales (median $1,413,799), ranging from $601,647 to $3,148,939, with 44% meeting or exceeding the average. Schedule B (16 restaurants reporting full P&Ls in 2025) shows average Cost of Goods 30.63%, Labor 31.26%, Restaurant Controllables 10.80%, and Manageable Profit (before occupancy, insurance, licen
Frequently Asked Questions
Similar Franchises
Dairy Queen FDD
Request the latest Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for Dairy Queen.