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Franchise 500 2023
2023 Franchise 500 Rank
N/R Not ranked last year
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Initial investment
$106K - $330K
Units as of 2022
52 arrow up 52.9% over 3 years

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.

Find Your Perfect Franchise

Company Overview

About D.P. Dough

Industry Food
Related Categories Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants, Pizza
Founded 1987
Parent Company Calzone King LLC
Leadership Eric Cook, CEO
Corporate Address 3961 State Rte. 41
East Freetown, NY 13040
Social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since 1996 (2023-1996 years)
# of employees at HQ 5
Where seeking

This company is offering new franchisees throughout the US.

# of Units 52 (as of 2022)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a D.P. Dough franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Information Circle
$25,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$105,980 - $329,730
Net Worth Requirement Information Circle
$300,000
Cash Requirement Information Circle
$100,000
Veteran Incentives Information Circle
10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Information Circle
4%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
1%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
10 years
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training 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

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
# of employees required to run 10-15
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where D.P. Dough landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

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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