Berkshire Hathaway-owned treat-and-food brand; new development focuses on the larger DQ Grill & Chill format.
The estimated total initial investment for a Dairy Queen franchise is $1.1M–$1.9M, which includes an initial franchise fee of approximately $45K. Ongoing royalties are 4–5% of gross sales, typically alongside a brand or advertising fund contribution. The system counts roughly 7,000 locations.
Within the Food & Beverage category of the FranchiseCo Index, Dairy Queen's entry cost places it in the heavy ($750K–$2M) tier. Use the Franchise Index to compare it against every other brand in the category, or run the Affordability Calculator to see whether it fits your budget before you go further.
Request the current Franchise Disclosure Document and verify Items 5, 6, and 7 against the estimates above — figures change with every annual FDD renewal. Our guide How to Read an FDD covers the seven items that decide deals, and Franchise Costs Explained covers the costs that don't appear in brochures. The franchisor's official site is dairyqueen.com.