Franchise opportunities compared
Doner Shack Franchising vs DQ Grill Chill
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Doner Shack Franchising figures come from its 2025 FDD and DQ Grill Chill figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
- Only DQ Grill Chill has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Doner Shack Franchising | DGDQ Grill Chill |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $498,000 Total 2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17 | $1,510,100 or third party suppliers TOTAL (15)(16) — $1510100 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 28 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $40,000 Honorably discharged veterans who meet the qualifications receive a 20% discount on their first franchise fee. 2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12 | $10,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 21 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% of gross sales Royalty 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 | $4.00 be the mid-point between the continuing license fee in effect for years 1-5 and — 4% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 26 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 0% of gross sales Brand Fund Contribution 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 0 Outlets at end of 2024 2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 48 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +0 Calculated: 0 at end of 2022 → 0 at end of 2024 | Not available Only one year reported |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | 2024 2025 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | 2020 2025 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Schedule A restaurants 110 units other Schedule A restaurants excluded from Schedule B 2024 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 69 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Schedule A: newly constructed freestanding, franchisee-owned and operated DQ Gr… $3,135,208 other aurants Meeting or Exceeding the Average 45% 44% 42% 44% High Annual Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Schedule B subset: restaurants with usable franchisee P&Ls for the year 31.76 percent other Sales 157 $1,410,815 $3,135,532 $1,376,354 $650,772 70 45% · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 67 +20 more groups in the full report |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.