America’s Dog & BurgerFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER franchise requires a total initial investment of $290K – $694K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.6M[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $290K – $694K
- 17th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- 16th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 3
- 8th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 3.2x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $290K – $694K including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.6M/year (median $1.6M).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 29/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- America’s Dog Franchise Systems, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- America's Dog Franchise, LLC (owns intellectual property)
- CEO title
- Manager and President
- Manolis D. Alpogianis
- CEO experience
- 2015 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 700 E. Grand Avenue, Suite 121, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Auditor
- A&G, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1K
- vs $23K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2024
- Status as of 2024; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Franchisees operate quick-service restaurant concepts serving gourmet hot dogs and premium burgers, managing daily food preparation, inventory, customer service, and staff operations. Revenue averages ~$1.57M annually from dine-in, takeout, and potentially delivery channels across single or multi-unit locations.
- CEO
- Manolis D. Alpogianis
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing · 16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Lease Deposit and rent for 3 months | $12K | $25K | |
| Blue prints, plans, and permits | $10K | $20K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $113K | $390K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and equipment | $55K | $100K | |
| Signage and graphics (interior and exterior) | $3K | $15K | |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $2K | $4K | |
| Travel and related expenses while training | $20K | $25K | |
| Initial marketing campaign | $5K | $10K | |
| POS Software and Hardware (including one year maintenance/support contract) | $8K | $13K | |
| Initial Inventory/Supplies | $4K | $7K | |
| Professional Services | $2K | $4K | |
| Insurance | $8K | $12K | |
| Government permits and licenses | $300 | $750 | |
| Additional Funds | $20K | $40K | |
| Development Feenot refundable | $70K | $70K | |
| Total initial investment | $360K | $764K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$172K
11.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
33%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $290K – $694K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.6M
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 3 units
- vs category median 13 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $200K→$2.9M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 1264 Full-Service Restaurants brands
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How America’s Dog & Burger Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 3
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 33%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Early-stage micro-franchise with unproven unit economics, no earnings disclosure, zero territorial protection, and minimal system scale—unsuitable for risk-averse investors seeking established franchise stability.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · A&G, LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 29 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 3 units in system with unknown/likely stagnant growth trajectory raises sustainability concerns
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 prevents accurate ROI validation and profitability assessment
- 03MINORNo territorial protection allows franchisor or competitors to saturate franchisee's market
- 04MINORWide investment range ($289K-$694K) suggests inconsistent unit economics or undefined buildout standards
- 05MEDMicro-system size (3 units) indicates limited operational track record and high execution risk
- 06MINORUnproven franchise model with minimal comparable unit performance data available
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 132 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- Silverware POS System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Silverware POS System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER franchise?
The total investment to open a AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER franchise ranges from $290K – $694K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.6M. The median is $1.6M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER has 3 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates AMERICA’S DOG & BURGER as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 29 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.