D.P. Dough logo

D.P. Dough

Calzones, wings, sides, salads, desserts

Investment

$120,980

Initial Franchise Fee

$40,000

Units

64

Growth Rate

+23.1%

Overview About Investment Territories Support Operations Ranking History

Overview

Industry Food
Founded 1987
Franchising Since 1996
Parent Company Calzone King LLC
Leadership Eric Cook, CEO
# of Employees at HQ 5

Units and Growth Chart

About D.P. Dough

D.P. Dough is the brainchild of a mother and son, Penny and Dan Haley, who named their first calzone restaurant with their combined first name initials in 1987. Primarily targeting late-night-dining college students, the business has been delivering hot cheesy calzones for several decades.

D.P. Dough began franchising in 1996 and boasts over 25 franchised locations in the United States, as well as several company-owned locations.

D.P. Dough offers an alternative to pizza with calzones that the young and young at heart can't seem to pass up. This franchisor is seeking to partner with dynamic individuals who are passionate about business growth and are hungry to deliver a superior experience to their customers.

Why You May Want to Start a D.P. Dough Franchise

As a franchisee for a D.P. Dough outlet, you'll be working hard to deliver world-class calzones, focusing your business on calzone-loving clientele. You may benefit from a dedicated D.P. Dough franchising team that will offer training and support throughout the process of opening up your location.

This franchise makes calzones using quality ingredients in an effort to give customers delicious options that aren't confusing. 

Answering a description as one of the few national calzone businesses that has opened franchises, D.P. Dough focuses on quality calzone offerings, as well as chicken wings, breadsticks, fresh-baked cookies, tater tots, and ice cream. The franchise sells twenty varieties of calzones across its locations and allows individual franchisees to offer specialty versions. At the beginning of the school year, with the influx of college students, D.P. Dough feeds college and academic-related diners that are up at all hours.

What Might Make a D.P. Dough Franchise a Good Choice?

D.P. Dough may offer great unit-level economics. You'll be operating in an all-season food industry segment with a unique late-night sector angle. Your outlet, depending on its size and location, may hire multiple staff members. D.P. Dough offers territorial rights, and you may be able to have multiple units as long as you're able to keep them open crazy late.

To be part of the D.P. Dough team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for the existence of ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a D.P. Dough Franchise?

As you decide if opening a D.P. Dough franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a D.P. Dough franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth. As a result, if there are multiple restaurants that specialize in pizza and calzones in your area, you may want to think twice about opening a D.P. Dough franchise.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the D.P. Dough franchising team questions.

Investment Details

Initial Franchise Fee $40,000
Initial Investment $120,980 - $359,910
Net Worth Requirement $300,000
Cash Requirement $100,000
Royalty Fee 5%
Ad Royalty Fee 1%
Technology Fee 0
Term of Agreement 10 years
Is Franchise Term Renewable? Yes
Financing N/A
Veterans Incentive 10% off franchise fee

Available Territories

Franchising opportunities available in the following regions

United States

Training & Support Programs

Comprehensive training and ongoing support to help you succeed

Training

On the Job Training 150-225 hours
Classroom Training 24-30 hours

Ongoing Support

Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Lease Negotiation
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform

Marketing Support

Ad Templates
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App

Operations & Requirements

Key operational details and requirements for running this franchise

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? No
Can this franchise be run part time? No
# of employees required to run 10-15
Are exclusive territories available? Yes

Ranking History

D.P. Dough performance in the Franchise rankings over recent years

No data available at this time.

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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022