Scenthound franchise unit economics
Engler’s Take
Scenthound franchisees run dog wellness shops, called Scenters, that sell monthly membership plans for bathing, nail, ear and teeth care.
Scenthound in the news
- A New Era of Growth: Scenthound Adds Three C-Suite Leaders as Brand Accelerates Nationwide Expansion · Franchising.com ·
The Scenthound headline above is the publisher's own and links to the publisher. Averan Advisors checked this Scenthound link on 11 October 2026. Franchise news lists news on 95 brands, including Scenthound. Scenthound is in the Grooming and Pet Retail franchise guide.
Scenthound franchise at a glance
Scenthound’s Item 19 reports 2025 gross revenue, members and dog visits for 114 shops by quartile and by year opened, with net operating income for the 82 shops filing a full profit line.
Scenthound franchisees averaged $461,041 of sales in 2025, with a median of $427,445, according to Item 19 of Scenthound’s 2026 FDD, issued 18 April 2026. The 114 in that group are 77%* of Scenthound’s 148 locations. Fees paid to Scenthound come to about 9.26%* of sales. A Scenthound franchise costs $322,999 to $553,269 to open.
- A Scenthound franchise costs $322,999 to $553,269 to open, including a $49,900 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Scenthound charges a royalty of 6% of sales, a 1.5% brand fund contribution and a $675 monthly technology fee.
- Scenthound reported 148 franchised locations in its 2026 FDD.
- Scenthound’s 82 shops with full 2025 financials averaged net operating income of 11.5% of revenue. Scenthound’s FDD defines net operating income as gross revenue less payroll with a market manager salary, rent, royalty, fees and other operating expenses, before depreciation, amortization and interest.
- At the average Scenthound location, wages took 48.8% and rent and space costs took 10.3% of sales.
- Work out Scenthound's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
- At the $322,999 low end of Scenthound’s investment range, net operating income pays back the build in about 5.5 years at the system average and 1.8 years in the top quarter.
- At $533 a member, the 19 members between Scenthound’s break-even and the average first year are worth about $10,000 a year.
These figures come from Scenthound'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 →- A shop covers its costs at about 451 members. The average first year ends at 432. The bottom quartile averaged 383 members and lost $36,207. The quarter above them averaged 489 members and made $20,307 *.
- Around that point, one more member adds $533 a year. $56,514 of difference across 106 members *, so 19 more members covers the costs and 40 more is worth $21,320.
- The top quartile keeps 26.2% of sales. The bottom quarter loses 10.8%. That is $175,259 kept against $36,207 lost, across the 82 shops that reported their costs.
- Wages take 60.4% of sales at the bottom quartile and 40.6% in the top quarter. Shops in the top quarter pay 34% more in wages and sell twice as much. That is $201,992 of wages against $271,111 *.
- Software and local advertising cost about the same whatever a shop sells. That is 11.6% of sales in the bottom quartile and 6.0% in the top quarter. That is $8,100 of software, plus $25,000 to $35,000 a year of local advertising *.
How much does a Scenthound franchise make?
The average Scenthound shop sold $461,041 in 2025, and half the shops sold less than $427,445. Sales are not net operating income. After wages, rent, products and the money paid to the brand, the 82 shops with full financials kept 11.5% of their $505,363 average sales as net operating income, which is $58,264. The fees paid to the brand take about 9.3% of sales before any of that. The top quartile kept $175,259. The bottom quarter lost $36,207.
Members are the unit
Revenue per member, 2025
Scenthound reports three things about each shop: how many members it has, how many dog visits it does a month, and how much of its money comes from members. The average shop has 483 members, and those members bring in 84% of its sales. The plan itself costs a member $491 a year, about $41 a month. The same member spends another $313 on other services.
| Measure | Highest | Median | Lowest | Average | Per member a year * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member count | 1,004 | 470 | 129 | 483 | n/a |
| Monthly dog visits | 1,100 | 540 | 193 | 560 | 13.9 |
| Sales | $991,061 | $427,445 | $109,027 | $461,041 | $955 |
| Membership fees | $483,073 | $226,287 | $63,206 | $237,319 | $491 |
| Other revenue from members | $379,712 | $135,940 | $28,554 | $151,327 | $313 |
| Total sales from members | $862,785 | $362,227 | $91,761 | $388,645 | $805 |
| Revenue from other customers | $128,276 | $65,218 | $17,267 | $72,396 | n/a |
| Share of revenue from members | 87% | 85% | 84% | 84% | n/a |
The brand reported the first four columns. We worked out the last one by dividing the brand's average figures by its average of 483 members.
Members, visits and sales by quarter, 2025
The top quartile averages 691 members and $710,494 of sales. The bottom quarter averages 298 members and $262,256. Sales at the top quarter are 2.7 times the bottom quarter. Each member is worth $1,028 in the top quarter and $880 in the bottom quarter, a difference of 17%.
| quartile | Members | Monthly visits | Sales | Revenue a member * | Visits a member a month * | From members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top quarter | 691 | 802 | $710,494 | $1,028 | 1.16 | 84% |
| Second quarter | 520 | 610 | $499,520 | $961 | 1.17 | 85% |
| Third quarter | 425 | 483 | $373,642 | $879 | 1.14 | 83% |
| Bottom quarter | 298 | 347 | $262,256 | $880 | 1.16 | 85% |
| All 114 | 483 | 560 | $461,041 | $955 | 1.16 | 84% |
The brand reported the members, visits, sales and member share. We divided each of those by that group's member count to get the last two columns.
A member books 1.16 visits a month. Across all four groups of shops the range is 1.14 to 1.17.
Doubling the members is worth $448,238 of sales. Going from 298 members to 691 takes a shop from $262,256 to $710,494.
Top performers
What separates the top Scenthound performers
Scenthound splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $710,494 a year. The lowest averaged $262,256. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $427,445. The average was $461,041. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 2.7× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $322,999 to $553,269, a 1.7× range inside one brand.
- Lease cost.Occupancy cost ran 10.3% of sales in this filing. Rent stays the same when sales fall, so it takes a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
- Cash needed in the first year.This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.
Live operating levers
- Wages.Wages take 48.8% of sales, against net operating income of 11.5%. 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 10.3% 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.
- Service and retail mix.Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
- Fees.Scenthound’s fees run about 9.3% of sales, and Scenthound sets no minimum royalty.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 114 of 148 locations. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded.
What is left at the end
Profit by sales quarter, 2025
Eighty-two shops reported all of their costs. The top quartile kept 26.2% of sales. The bottom quarter lost 10.8%. Wages take 40.6% of sales at the top quartile and 60.4% in the bottom quarter. In dollars the difference is 34%.
| Line | Top quarter | Second | Third | Bottom quarter | All 82 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shops | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 82 |
| Members | 654 | 565 | 489 | 383 | 523 |
| Monthly dog visits | 759 | 652 | 586 | 438 | 609 |
| Sales | $667,372 | $554,267 | $459,232 | $334,354 | $505,363 |
| Wages, taxes and benefits | $271,111 | $266,432 | $246,860 | $201,992 | $246,844 |
| Rent | $49,439 | $55,112 | $54,848 | $47,754 | $51,866 |
| Other occupancy cost | $14,514 | $13,307 | $13,497 | $11,243 | $13,147 |
| Royalty | $40,042 | $33,256 | $27,902 | $20,061 | $30,322 |
| Technology | $8,100 | $8,057 | $8,100 | $8,100 | $8,089 |
| Brand fund | $7,095 | $6,496 | $5,478 | $4,381 | $5,866 |
| Local advertising | $32,089 | $30,880 | $31,327 | $30,587 | $31,218 |
| Other operating | $69,707 | $65,946 | $56,702 | $46,435 | $59,737 |
| Net operating income after operating costs | $175,259 | $74,769 | $20,307 | −$36,207 | $58,264 |
| As a share of revenue | 26.2% | 13.4% | 4.4% | −10.8% | 11.5% |
Every figure is as the brand reported it.
Costs are covered at about 451 members. At 383 members a shop lost $36,207 and at 489 it made $20,307. So the point where it covers its costs is 451 members and about $414,000 of sales.
Around that point, one more member adds $533 a year. That is $56,514 of difference across 106 members *.
Rent is $47,754 at the bottom quartile and $49,439 at the busiest, a difference of 3.5%. A shop in the bottom quarter pays 14.3% of its sales for that space. One in the top quarter pays 7.5%.
The highest single shop kept $343,146 and the lowest lost $66,677. Half the shops kept less than $44,105, while the average was $58,264. 47 of the 82 shops kept less than the average.
The first year
Membership build in the first year
The brand reports how members build up month by month in the first year, for all 114 shops. The average shop signs 229 members in month one and reaches 432 by month twelve. The top quarter by members ends the year at 596. The bottom quarter ends at 280.
| Month | Top quarter | Second | Third | Bottom quarter | Average | Gap to 451 * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 311 | 235 | 209 | 163 | 229 | 222 |
| 2 | 357 | 282 | 238 | 187 | 266 | 185 |
| 3 | 408 | 316 | 261 | 206 | 297 | 154 |
| 4 | 448 | 343 | 282 | 218 | 322 | 129 |
| 5 | 484 | 374 | 297 | 232 | 346 | 105 |
| 6 | 511 | 389 | 312 | 243 | 363 | 88 |
| 7 | 530 | 405 | 325 | 254 | 378 | 73 |
| 8 | 546 | 421 | 338 | 265 | 392 | 59 |
| 9 | 567 | 436 | 354 | 269 | 406 | 45 |
| 10 | 575 | 451 | 367 | 274 | 416 | 35 |
| 11 | 581 | 461 | 373 | 279 | 423 | 28 |
| 12 | 596 | 469 | 382 | 280 | 432 | 19 |
The brand reported the member counts. We compared each month against the 451 members a shop needs to cover its costs.
Four fifths of a Scenthound shop's first-year members join in the first five months. That is 346 of 432 by month five *.
The bottom quarter of shops ends the first year at 280 members. That is 171 short of covering costs *. At $533 a member, those 171 members are worth $91,143 a year.
Members and profit by year opened, 2025
Shops opened in 2022 or earlier average 603 members and keep 17.9% of sales. Shops opened in 2024 average 466 members and keep 3.0% of sales.
| Opened | Shops reporting costs | Members | Monthly visits | Sales | Net operating income after operating costs | Margin * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 or earlier | 27 of 32 | 603 | 710 | $606,138 | $108,298 | 17.9% |
| 2023 | 25 of 37 | 510 | 607 | $497,904 | $58,254 | 11.7% |
| 2024 | 30 of 45 | 466 | 523 | $420,881 | $12,584 | 3.0% |
| All filing | 82 of 114 | 523 | 609 | $505,363 | $58,264 | 11.5% |
The brand reported the members, visits, sales and what each shop kept. We worked out the last column as a share of sales.
Two more years of trading adds 137 members and $95,714 a year. Shops go from 466 members to 603 *, and from keeping 3.0% of sales to keeping 17.9%.
Discounts available
- Scenthound takes $5,000 off the first Scenter's fee for qualified U.S. veterans.
- Scenthound charges $40,000 for the second Scenter, $35,000 for the third and $30,000 for each one after that under a multi-unit development agreement.
From Item 5 of the Scenthound 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
Fees and what it costs to open
Fees for top and bottom quarter shops
- Royalty: 6% of Gross Revenues
- Brand Fund: up to 1.5% of Gross Revenues
- Local Advertising Requirement: 5.5% of Gross Revenues, or $25,000 a year, whichever is greater, capped at $35,000
You will be expected to meet the local advertising requirement whatever your sales do. The percentage only decides the bill between $454,545 and $636,364 of revenue; below that the $25,000 minimum governs, so shops in the bottom quartile spend $30,587 on advertising and shops in the top quarter spend $32,089.
| Charge | Rate | At the top quarter | At the bottom quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | n/a | $667,372 | $334,354 |
| Royalty | 6%, rising by up to 1 point a year to a 9% ceiling | 6.0% | 6.0% |
| Brand fund | up to 1.5%, rising to a 3% ceiling | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Technology | $675 a month, rising 10% a year | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Local advertising | 5.5%, minimum $25,000, ceiling $35,000 | 4.8% | 9.1% |
| Paid to the brand | n/a | 8.3% | 9.8% |
The brand reported the rates, the caps and the percentages. We worked out the sales figures where the rule changes.
Cost to open
| Line | Low | High | Share of the low estimate * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49,900 | $49,900 | 15.4% |
| Build-out | $140,500 | $266,000 | 43.5% |
| Furniture and fixtures | $33,000 | $45,800 | 10.2% |
| Equipment, signage and architect review | $12,500 | $37,300 | 3.9% |
| Opening supplies and inventory | $10,500 | $10,500 | 3.3% |
| Technology and point of sale | $1,649 | $3,269 | 0.5% |
| Grand opening marketing | $20,000 | $35,000 | 6.2% |
| Training, travel and opening support | $3,750 | $8,000 | 1.2% |
| Rent, deposits and permits | $3,500 | $34,200 | 1.1% |
| Professional fees and insurance | $2,700 | $8,300 | 0.8% |
| Other amounts payable to the franchisor | $0 | $5,000 | 0.0% |
| Additional funds, three months | $45,000 | $50,000 | 13.9% |
| Total | $322,999 | $553,269 | 100% |
The brand reported the amounts. We worked out each one as a share of the total, and we grouped a few of the brand's smaller lines together. Both columns still add up to the totals shown.
At the average shop, it takes 5.54 years to earn back the $322,999 it costs to open. In the top quartile it takes 1.84 years *.
The opening advertising costs about $109 for each member it brings in. That is $25,000 for the 229 members who join in month one *, and each of those Scenthound members brings in $955 of sales a year.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does a Scenthound franchise make?
Scenthound franchisees averaged $461,041 of sales in 2025, with a median of $427,445, according to Item 19 of Scenthound’s 2026 FDD, issued 18 April 2026. The 114 in that group are 77%* of Scenthound’s 148 locations. Fees paid to Scenthound come to about 9.26%* of sales. A Scenthound franchise costs $322,999 to $553,269 to open.
How many members does a Scenthound shop need?
A Scenthound shop needs about 451 members to cover its costs. Shops with 383 members lost $36,207 and shops with 489 made $20,307. The average shop finishes its first year with 432 members, and the average across all shops is 483.
What is a member worth at Scenthound?
A Scenthound member brings in $955 of sales a year. Of that, $491 is the plan and $313 is what the same member buys on top. Members bring in 84% of a shop's sales and visit 1.16 times a month.
What does a Scenthound shop keep?
The 82 Scenthound shops with full financials kept 11.5% of sales on average, which is $58,264. The top quartile keeps 26.2%, or $175,259. The bottom quarter loses 10.8%, or $36,207. Shops opened in 2022 or earlier keep 17.9%, shops opened in 2023 keep 11.7%, and shops opened in 2024 keep 3.0%.
Where does the money go at Scenthound?
Across the 82 Scenthound shops with full financials, wages take 48.8% of revenue, other operating costs 11.8%, rent 10.3%, local advertising 6.2%, royalty 6.0%, other occupancy cost 2.6%, technology 1.6% and the brand fund 1.2%.
How much does a Scenthound franchise cost to open?
A Scenthound franchise costs $322,999 to $553,269 to open. The Scenthound build-out is $140,500 to $266,000 and additional funds for three months are $45,000 to $50,000. The initial franchise fee is $49,900, with $5,000 off for qualifying veterans on a first Scenter.
Questions worth putting to Scenthound
These are questions the Scenthound filing leaves open. An owner or a buyer can put them to Scenthound directly.
- Is the profit figure in Item 19 before or after owner pay, and how many locations sit below it?
- Which factors does Scenthound 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 Scenthound 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. Checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →How far are you from 451?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around active members tracked weekly against customers lost, wage cost measured per member. A cash plan for the months before the shop covers its costs.
Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from Scenthound Franchising 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. Scenthound® 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: Scenthound Franchising LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 18 April 2026.
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Questions owners ask next
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