Sorry, there are no new location listings available at this time. Please contact the Franchisor or checkout listings of existing Franchises available for resale, below.
Becoming a Dairy Queen franchisee partner is seen as a long-term dedication and as such Dairy Queen is looking for partners who represent their values and understand their place in the market alongside what sets them apart from the rest. Dairy Queen is no stranger to franchising, in fact, Dairy Queen was one of the first franchise chains in America, growing from 10 locations in 1941 to 100 locations in 1947, to almost 1,500 locations by 1950. Currently, Dairy Queen is providing priority for partners in desired locations and with previous restaurant backgrounds. Applicants are required to contact Dairy Queen directly through their website or via email. Once the Dairy Queen franchise team deems an applicant ready for starting a new Dairy Queen location, they will schedule an interview for you to meet with the franchise team for further questions.
Dairy Queen is one of the most popular franchising options and has a long history of growing and expanding using the franchising model. The first DQ opened for business on June 22, 1940. From there, the brand used franchising to expand rapidly and ultimately achieve a global reach. Currently, Dairy Queen stands at over 6,500 locations globally with more than 4,000 of them located in North America. Originally started with the selling of frozen treats, DQ has expanded to include all kinds of menu items which has coined the famous grill and chill moniker for their locations.
Dairy Queen has developed customer loyalty and established a solid brand as a leading fast-food chain. The Ice Cream Queen continues to reign as one of the most desired franchises and has worked to keep up with the times modernizing its menu and brand.
Dairy Queen looks for candidates who are both financially prepared and aligned with the values that they hold.
The most important factor that Dairy Queen looks for in candidates is previous experiences in a restaurant setting. If you have experience operating another type of business, including working with employees and customers, managing finances and leading teams, this will also greatly help in your evaluation. Dairy Queen has a comprehensive training program that is required when it comes to starting a new franchise location and presents everything you would need to hit the ground running. Dairy Queen believes that one of the most important factors in running a successful franchise is the uniformity of training or operations between the franchises. As such DQ provides extensive training for any manager or assistant manager that would be working at your location. Dairy Queen values partners who understand the process and outlines of the inner workings of their programs, and can follow their proven model on running a successful franchise.
If you happen to currently own a Dairy Queen franchise, opening a second location becomes exponentially faster and easier.
Contact FranchisorApplicants require a minimum net worth of $750,000 and $400,000 of liquid cash. Typically, opening a Dairy Queen location will cost an initial investment of $800,000 - $1,200,000. The price will vary greatly based on the location. The royalty fees are 4% of gross sales and the franchise fee is $45,000 which is on the higher side compared to the industry.
A full estimated breakdown of the costs can be seen below:
Franchise Fee |
$45,000 |
Royalty Fee |
4% |
Marketing Fee |
5 – 6% |
Term |
20 years |
Investment Range |
$800,000 to 1.2 million or more |
Liquid Capital Requirement |
$400,000 |
Net Worth Requirement |
$750,000 (for a single unit) |
Certified DQ Managers |
3 |
Yes, although this could be limited to very few locations.You can find all available listings here: