Dogtopia franchise unit economics
Dogtopia franchisees run dog daycare centers that sell daycare packages and memberships, overnight boarding and spa grooming.
Dogtopia franchise at a glance
101 centers reported all of their costs.
Dogtopia franchisees averaged $927,566 of sales in the fiscal year to 27 December 2025, with a median of $915,213, according to Item 19 of Dogtopia’s 2026 FDD, issued 8 April 2026. The 169 in that group are 75%* of Dogtopia’s 225 locations. Fees paid to Dogtopia come to about 10.3%* of sales.
- A Dogtopia franchise costs $673,760 to $1,478,820 to open, including a $49,500 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Dogtopia charges a royalty of 7% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
- Dogtopia reported 225 franchised locations in its 2026 FDD.
- Dogtopia’s 101 franchised centers that sent a full 2025 profit and loss averaged a net operating margin of 18.5% of revenue. Dogtopia’s FDD defines it as revenue less cost of goods, occupancy, wages, royalty and marketing fees and other operating costs, with wages excluding owner pay.
- At the average Dogtopia location, wages took 44.5%, rent and space costs took 14.7% and cost of goods took 2.9% of sales.
- Work out Dogtopia's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Dogtopia's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.
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Talk to Averan → Move your books and accounting to Averan →- Net operating margin runs 9.3% under $900,000 of sales and 23.7% above $1.5 million. At the top of each group that is $83,700 against $444,743 *, 5.3 times the profit on roughly twice the revenue.
- Wages and rent take 59.2% of a franchised center's revenue before anything else is paid. That is 44.5% and 14.7% at the 101 reporting centers, or $412,767 and $136,352 applied to the 169-center $927,566 average *.
- Rent is fixed, so the occupancy cost share moves with revenue. Carrying $136,352 of rent at the 13.4% the $1m to $1.5m group runs needs $1,017,552 of sales *, $89,986 above the average center.
- The franchisor's own centers keep 21.7% against 18.5% at franchised ones, and wages account for all of it. 37.9% against 44.5% is worth $61,219 at the franchised average *, against 3.5 points more rent.
- 109 franchise agreements are signed with the center still to open, against nine openings last year. That is 48.4% of the 225 open franchised centers *, with 30 projected to open in the coming year.
How much does a Dogtopia franchise make?
The average Dogtopia unit reported $927,566 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $915,213. More than half of the centers sell less than $915,213. The brand’s disclosure document puts the net operating margin of 101 reporting centers at 18.5% of revenue. Fees come off the top first, at about 10.3% of sales across royalty, brand fund and the rest of the stack. Revenue is not income. Rent, wages, cost of goods and the franchise fees all come out before an owner is paid. The figures for the highest-selling and lowest-selling businesses are below.
Top performers
What separates the top Dogtopia performers
Dogtopia splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $1,331,715 a year. The lowest averaged $555,451. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $915,213. The average was $927,566. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 2.4× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Capacity.Locations run 4,000 to 6,000 square feet. The build sets how much you can sell.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $673,760 to $1,478,820, a 2.2× range inside one brand.
- Lease cost.Occupancy cost ran 14.7% of sales in this filing. Rent stays the same when sales fall, so it takes a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
Live operating levers
- Wages.Wages take 44.5% of sales, against a net operating margin of 18.5%. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
- Occupancy cost.Rent and building costs take 14.7% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.
- Membership drives the model.Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
- Fees.Dogtopia’s fees run about 10.3% of sales, and Dogtopia sets no minimum royalty.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 101 of 225 locations. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded, as are locations under the brand’s current size standard.
- The franchisor reports its own locations too.The franchisor reports its own locations alongside the franchised ones. Treat them as a guide to what is possible. They do not represent the system: they are operated by the franchisor, usually mature, and usually few.
The profit line by size
Costs as a share of revenue by sales group, 2025
101 centers reported their costs, grouped by sales. Profit rises 12.4 points between the lowest group and the third. Wages account for 5.7 points of that, rent for 4.9 and other running costs for 2.4. The cost of products moves the other way by 0.6. The royalty and brand fund stay at 9.0% in every group.
| Line | Under $900k | $900k–$1m | $1m–$1.5m | Over $1.5m | All 101 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centers | 34 | 13 | 49 | 5 | 101 |
| Cost of goods | 2.5% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.9% |
| Wages and benefits | 48.8% | 44.3% | 43.1% | 43.2% | 44.5% |
| Building costs | 18.3% | 17.5% | 13.4% | 11.0% | 14.7% |
| Prime operating costs | 69.6% | 65.2% | 59.6% | 56.8% | 62.1% |
| Gross operating margin | 30.4% | 34.8% | 40.4% | 43.2% | 37.9% |
| Royalty and brand fund | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% |
| Other operating costs | 12.1% | 11.1% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 10.5% |
| Net operating margin | 9.3% | 14.7% | 21.7% | 23.7% | 18.5% |
| At the top of the group * | $83,700 | $147,000 | $325,500 | $444,743 | $171,600 |
Percentages and center counts are as the brand reported it. The bottom row is marked *, applying each group's margin to the top of its own sales range and, for the open-ended group, to the highest franchised gross sales of $1,876,551.
A center at $900,000 of sales keeps $83,700. One at $1.5 million keeps $325,500
Across all 134 centers, the lowest profit was −39.4% of sales and the highest was 51.4%. Both extremes sit under $900,000 of sales.
Two tables in the document disagree. One splits the 101 centers into groups of 34, 13, 49 and 5. Another splits the same 101 into 34, 13, 52 and 2. Three centers sit in a different group depending on which table you read.
Discounts available
- Dogtopia takes 10% off ($44,550) for existing franchisees buying an additional center.
- Dogtopia takes 10% off ($44,550) of a first center for honorably discharged veterans under the IFA VetFran Program, or $40,095 for a veteran's additional center.
From Item 5 of the Dogtopia 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
Rent, wages and revenue
Rent as a share of sales by quarter
A center of 4,000 to 6,000 square feet costs $4,600 to $16,150 a month to rent. At the 169-center average of $927,566 of sales, rent at the 101 reporting centers’ 14.7% is $136,352 a year, or $11,363 a month. The rent stays the same when sales fall. Only the percentage changes.
| quartile | Centers | Average sales | Rent as a share | Margin in its band | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom 25% | 42 | $555,451 | 24.5% | 9.3% | $51,657 |
| Second 25% | 42 | $800,345 | 17.0% | 9.3% | $74,432 |
| Third 25% | 42 | $1,013,135 | 13.5% | 21.7% | $219,850 |
| Top 25% | 43 | $1,331,715 | 10.2% | 21.7% | $288,982 |
| All franchised | 169 | $927,566 | 14.7% | 18.5% | $171,600 |
The brand reported the center counts and average sales for each quarter. The four quarter averages add back to the published $927,566 within a dollar.
Sales and rent per square foot
At the average sales figure, a 4,000 square foot center sells $231.89 a foot. A 6,000 foot center sells $154.59. The lease is signed years before those sales arrive, and the square footage cannot be changed afterwards.
| Measure | 4,000 sq ft | 5,000 sq ft | 6,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales a square foot at $927,566 | $231.89 | $185.51 | $154.59 |
| Rent a square foot at $136,352 | $34.09 | $27.27 | $22.73 |
| Sales needed for 13.4% occupancy cost | $1,017,552 | $1,017,552 | $1,017,552 |
Every figure here is marked *, dividing the filed average gross sales and the filed 14.7% occupancy cost share by each square footage in the stated 4,000 to 6,000 range.
The top quartile sells $1,331,715 and keeps $288,982. The bottom quarter sells $555,451 and keeps $51,657
Wages take 48.8% of sales in the lowest group and 43.1% in the third. At $1 million of sales that difference is $57,000 a year.
The brand’s own locations against yours
Franchised and company centers compared, 2025
The brand ran 33 of its own centers and reported their costs alongside the 101 owner-run ones. Its own centers keep 21.7% of sales. The 101 reporting owner-run centers keep 18.5%. Wages take 37.9% at the brand's centers and 44.5% at the others, a difference worth $61,219 a year. The brand's centers pay 3.5 points more of their sales in rent.
| Line | Franchised, 101 | At $927,566 * | Company, 33 | At $976,425 * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of goods | 2.9% | $26,899 | 2.0% | $19,529 |
| Wages and benefits | 44.5% | $412,767 | 37.9% | $370,065 |
| Building costs | 14.7% | $136,352 | 18.2% | $177,709 |
| Prime operating costs | 62.1% | $576,019 | 58.2% | $568,279 |
| Gross operating margin | 37.9% | $351,548 | 41.8% | $408,146 |
| Royalty and brand fund | 9.0% | $83,481 | 9.0% | $87,878 |
| Other operating costs | 10.5% | $97,394 | 11.1% | $108,383 |
| Net operating margin | 18.5% | $171,600 | 21.7% | $211,884 |
Percentages and center counts are as the brand reported it. The dollar columns are marked *, applying each side's filed margins to its own filed average gross sales, $927,566 across 169 franchised centers and $976,425 across 33 company and affiliated ones.
Matching the brand's wage share would be worth $61,219 a year, which is 6.6 points of sales
The brand's own centers pay $41,357 more rent, at 18.2% of sales against 14.7% *. Rent and other operating costs are the two lines where owner-run centers spend less.
One table contradicts itself. It gives a lowest profit of 43.3% across all 33 company centers, while its own under-$900,000 column shows −39.4%. Another says the middle center kept 18.9% and the average was 19.2%, while 52.2% of centers were at or above that average.
Opening and the pipeline
Cost to open
Building work runs $541,700 to $856,200. It averaged $738,807 across the six centers built to the current design in 2025. Heating and cooling equipment adds $96,000 to $150,000.
| Line | Low | High | Share of the low estimate * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49,500 | $49,500 | 6.0% |
| Real estate and facility coordination fee | $15,500 | $44,500 | 2.3% |
| Initial training fee and expenses | $1,000 | $7,000 | 0.2% |
| Utility, lease and security deposits | $5,500 | $17,500 | 0.8% |
| Three months' rent | $13,800 | $48,450 | 2.1% |
| Building work | $541,700 | $856,200 | 81.5% |
| Landlord contributions | −$210,350 | −$38,900 | −31.7% |
| Furniture, fixtures and equipment | $19,800 | $28,640 | 3.0% |
| Climate equipment | $96,000 | $150,000 | 14.5% |
| Signage inside and out | $23,000 | $42,000 | 3.5% |
| Technology systems and fees | $17,050 | $24,700 | 2.6% |
| Odor control and microsite setup | $1,200 | $2,700 | 0.2% |
| Opening inventory and supplies | $24,060 | $31,530 | 3.6% |
| Pre-opening marketing | $15,000 | $30,000 | 2.3% |
| Licenses, permits and insurance | $3,200 | $47,000 | 0.5% |
| Professional fees | $28,500 | $78,500 | 4.3% |
| Additional funds, three months | $30,000 | $60,000 | 4.5% |
| Total | $673,760 | $1,478,820 | 100% |
Amounts are as the brand reported it and the share column is marked *.
Openings and pipeline
Openings ran 33, then 15, then 9 in the three years to December 2025, a fall of 72.7%. At the end of 2025, 109 owners had signed and had no center open yet. The brand expects 30 to open in the coming year.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 174 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 205 |
| 2024 | 205 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 220 |
| 2025 | 220 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 225 |
| Signed and waiting | 109 agreements, 48.4% of the open franchised system * | 30 projected | ||||
As the brand reported it, with the pipeline share marked *.
At the 169-center average sales and the 101 reporting centers’ 18.5% margin, it takes 3.93 years to earn back the $673,760 it costs to open, on $171,600 kept a year *. On the high opening estimate it takes 8.62 years. In the top quartile it takes about 2.3 years.
Building work and climate equipment are 96% of the low opening estimate between them *. Both are committed when the lease is signed.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does a Dogtopia franchise make?
Dogtopia franchisees averaged $927,566 of sales in the fiscal year to 27 December 2025, with a median of $915,213, according to Item 19 of Dogtopia’s 2026 FDD, issued 8 April 2026. The 169 in that group are 75%* of Dogtopia’s 225 locations. Fees paid to Dogtopia come to about 10.3%* of sales.
What does a franchised Dogtopia center keep?
A franchised Dogtopia center keeps 18.5% of gross sales across the 101 franchised centers filing a full profit statement for 2025, which is $171,600 when applied to the 169-center average of $927,566. Centers under $900,000 of sales keep 9.3%. Centers above $1.5 million keep 23.7%.
What are the largest costs at Dogtopia?
Wages and benefits take 44.5% of sales and rent takes 14.7%, which is 59.2% together. Cost of goods is only 2.9%, the royalty and brand fund 9.0%, and everything else 10.5%.
What fees does Dogtopia charge?
Dogtopia charges a 7% royalty and a 2% brand fund fee that may rise to 3%. Dogtopia charges a 2% local marketing commitment measured on a rolling six-month basis, a digital marketing fee currently $125 a month and a technology fee currently $899 to $1,174 a month. At the franchised average the royalty, brand fund, digital marketing fee and the lower technology fee paid to the brand come to about $95,769 a year, or 10.3% of sales. The 2% local marketing is spent by the owner.
How much does a Dogtopia franchise cost to open?
A Dogtopia franchise costs $673,760 to $1,478,820 to open. Building work of $541,700 to $856,200 and climate equipment of $96,000 to $150,000 are the bulk of it, offset by landlord contributions of $38,900 to $210,350.
What territory do I get at Dogtopia?
Each Dogtopia center gets a protected area. It is a three-mile radius if fewer than 25,000 people there match the brand's customer profile. If more do, the area is drawn to include at least 25,000 of them. The brand treats the rules defining that profile as a trade secret and can change them.
Questions worth putting to Dogtopia
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- Is the profit figure in Item 19 before or after owner pay, and how many locations sit below it?
- Which factors does Dogtopia see in its highest-selling locations, such as trade area, years open and size?
- How long does a new location take to reach the average you publish, and what does the build-up look like month by month?
- At what level of sales do the minimum charges stop applying and the percentage take over?
- How many Dogtopia locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Numbers Check runs the same checks on your own numbers. It scores where you stand and compares you with Item 19 of your brand’s FDD. It works out what one location earns and spends, and builds a 13-week cash forecast. It checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →What share of sales is your rent this month?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around wages measured against dog visits week by week, occupancy cost tracked as a percentage. Set a group target on the margin ladder above.
Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from Better Together, LLC’s 2026 FDD and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brand. Calculations of our own are labeled where they appear, the figures describe past performance at other businesses and are not a projection of yours. This page is an educational summary. It is not an offer to sell a franchise, and it is not financial, legal or tax advice. Dogtopia® is a registered trademark of its owner. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.
These figures come from the brand's disclosure. They are not a forecast, an offer to sell a franchise or advice. Source: Better Together, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 8 April 2026.
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Dogtopia reads against the rest of the dog daycare and boarding group: Camp Bow Wow · Central Bark · Hounds Town USA. The dog daycare and boarding guide compares all of them on the same figures.
Questions owners ask next
The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.
- At what level of sales does a minimum fee stop costing me more than the percentage?It works out the sales level where a minimum fee stops applying.
- How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?It builds a 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
- My payroll percentage keeps climbing. Is that a payroll problem?It shows how to tell whether payroll is rising or revenue is falling.
- Revenue was the highest it has been. Why did profit not move?It traces where the extra revenue went, line by line.
- At what point do spreadsheets stop coping?It explains what changes at around ten units and why lenders care.