INVESTMENT OPTIONS

What types of investment options are available with DQ?

Just like with our irresistible product offerings, we do our best to tailor our investment options to your satisfaction. To that end, we've created several methods through which you can become part of our experienced family of franchisees, whether you are interested in single-unit or multi-unit development.

Standard Program

This program is available to prospective franchisees with experience operating a restaurant or retail establishment, along with the financial resources to invest in the business and a willingness to manage the operation day-to-day.

Multi-unit Developer

If you are a serious restaurateur looking to add a category leader with impeccable brand equity to your portfolio, this is the program for you! There are a number of areas around the U.S. currently available for new and existing multi-unit development.

Investor Program

Interested in owning a DQ franchise without running it every day? Check out our Investor Program, which allows you to partner with a general manager, with prior management experience, who will  have a vested or vesting interest in the restaurant and the operation of the restaurant.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

1. What qualifications do you seek in potential franchisees?

We are looking for franchisees who want to create economic value for themselves while building and enhancing the DQ® and Orange Julius® brands. Specifically, franchisees must have previous success in the restaurant industry or other retail environments, supervisory or training experience, and the necessary financial resources to develop the restaurant(s) effectively. For detailed information, see specific requirements for DQ Grill & Chill and DQ Orange Julius.

2. Is it necessary for me to work in my restaurant?

We believe that professional management is critical to your restaurant's success. If you have prior restaurant management experience, we encourage you to be active in the day-to-day operation of your business. If not, you must partner with a professional restaurant manager who has or can earn a vested interest in the business, if you are choosing to own a DQ Grill & Chill restaurant. If you are interested in a DQ Orange Julius store, a professional restaurant manager is not required, although it is highly recommended.

3. What are the management requirements for a DQ Grill & Chill restaurant or DQ Orange Julius store?

A strong management team is critical to the success of any restaurant. We require at least THREE full-time managers for our DQ Grill & Chill restaurant concept.  For our DQ Orange Julius store, up to two full-time managers are required.

4. How much money can I make?

Profitability depends on several factors, including your ability to manage the business, build sales and control costs. These factors, and more, all affect the profit a restaurant can generate.

We strongly suggest you visit with existing franchisees to discuss sales, operating costs, and profitability. When we begin serious discussions regarding our franchise programs, we will provide you with the appropriate Franchise Disclosure Document. Depending on the concept that you are interested in developing, certain historical financial performance information may be included in the document.

5. How do I know if a DQ Grill & Chill or a DQ Orange Julius franchise is right for me?

Like with any business, owning a DQ Grill & Chill or a DQ Orange Julius franchise is not for everyone. You must be willing to work long hours and be very comfortable with personnel management, financial management, customer service, marketing and business development. In addition, you should have strong communication, motivation and customer service skills. But for the right individual or company, owning a DQ or DQ Orange Julius restaurant can be a very  rewarding business opportunity.

6. How long is the training program?

For a DQ Grill & Chill restaurant, we provide 5 weeks of training that combines classroom and on the job instruction at a certified regional training location. For our DQ Orange Julius store concept, you will spend three weeks training with us in the field.

7. What happens after I submit my CIF?

After receiving your Confidential Information Form, we will review your information to ensure initial qualifications have been met. Following our review, a Franchise Recruiter will contact you to discuss franchise opportunities currently available and the next steps in our franchise award and restaurant development process.

8. What are the steps in the procedure – from inquiry to restaurant opening – and how long does it take?

Complete our Request Info form to receive by email our Confidential Information Form (CIF). Upon receiving the email, complete the CIF and fax or send it back to us. After receiving your CIF, a Recruiter will review your information and contact you to discuss your interest, as well as opportunities that might be available.

If you're a qualified candidate and an opportunity for development exists, your application will be brought to our Development Review Committee for consideration. If your application is approved, our Real Estate or Lease Manager will work with you to review potential sites for your new restaurant.  When you identify a site that you want to propose for development, the site proposal will be brought to our Development Review Committee for consideration. Upon consent to the site, you will begin preparing plans and moving into the construction phase. Your Real Estate or Lease Manager will provide you with general guidance on timelines, depending upon the concept and type of location in which you are interested.

RESTAURANT LOCATION

1. Who determines the location of my restaurant?

Your specially assigned Real Estate or Lease Manager provides you with site selection guidelines to help you evaluate the attributes of a specific location. Once you propose a site, we conduct a review of that site and trade area. Our review is based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to retail activity, traffic volume, restaurant saturation, schools, residential population and property cost.

2. What areas of the country and what DQ and DQ Orange Julius concepts are available for development?

To find out about specific locations for which we are actively seeking franchisees, please check out our Hot Spots & Stores.  Please note, however, that the locations identified in the “Hot Spots” section of this site are not the only locations available for development.  In fact, we have areas across the country in which we are interested in developing new units.  If you have an area in which you are interested in developing a new franchise, please let us know when you contact us so we can be prepared to talk with you about your area of interest.

3. What if I have an ideal location available?

If you are a real estate broker or individual who has a specific site available, please review our
DQ Grill & Chill or DQ Orange Julius location selection pages for requirements and contact information.

4. What is a Territory Operator (T.O.)?

A Territory Operator (T.O.) is a franchisee who owns the rights to develop DQ concepts within a designated territory. There are several T.O.’s across the country. If the area in which you’re interested in developing is in a T.O.’s designated territory, upon inquiry, we will refer you to that territory’s T.O. Based on the T.O.’s contractual obligation with our corporation, the T.O. may have certain conditions/restrictions/programs that differ from those who have direct franchise relationships with us.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

DQ Grill and Chill® Requirements

DQ® Orange Julius® Requirements