Bubbly Paws Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Bubbly Paws is a pet franchise offering self-serve dog wash stations and full-service grooming, plus pet retail. Franchisees run the stores, managing wash bays, groomers, and retail.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bubbly Paws franchise requires a total initial investment of $197K – $371K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $197K – $371K
- 51st pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned onlyn=2
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 16th pct Pet Services
- Units
- 5
- 27th pct Pet Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Pet Services avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $197K – $371K including a $45K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 states audited financial statements as of September 30, 2022 and 2021 are in Exhibit B, but Exhibit B (the audited statements, balance sheet, income statement, auditor's report) is not present/legible in the available OCR text, so no Item 21 figures could be extracted.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 44/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Bubbly Paws Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Bubbly Paws LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Bubbly Paws LLC (BP)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Keith Miller
- CEO experience
- 14 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- MN
- HQ
- 4737 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $0 prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Keith Miller
- Headquarters
- MN
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 60% below the typical pet services franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $138K | $301K |
| Total initial investment | $197K | $371K |
Source: Bubbly Paws 2023 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $197K – $371K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 1.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $22K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $9K |
| Total fee load | 1.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Bubbly Paws did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Bubbly Paws unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
39%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 states audited financial statements as of September 30, 2022 and 2021 are in Exhibit B, but Exhibit B (the audited statements, balance sheet, income statement, auditor's report) is not present/legible in the available OCR text, so no Item 21 figures could be extracted.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on a sample of only 2
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 2
- vs category median 12 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $312K→$562K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Source filing
- FDD 2023
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 68 Pet Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 1.0% — below the Pet Services average of 9.3%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Pet Services averages
How Bubbly Paws Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 11
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $520K
- Median loan
- $260K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Small, financially unstable franchisor with limited system validation, thin margins, and going concern issues present meaningful investment risk despite protected territory.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is False — indicates financial instability or viability questions at franchisor level
- 02MINOROnly 5 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory — suggests stagnant or contracting franchise system
- 03MINORNet profit margin of only 13.1% ($57,344 on $436,620) is thin and may not support $197k-$371k initial investment ROI within reasonable timeframe
- 04MINOREscalating royalty structure (0% → 3% → 6%) could squeeze profitability in years 2-3 when cash flow is critical
- 05MINORMinimal franchise system size (5 units) creates higher franchisor dependency risk and reduced purchasing power/support infrastructure
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 1.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 150,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | franchisee's state |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 24 hrs
- Training location
- Minneapolis, Minnesota (or online)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- point-of-sale system (Pawtastic)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: point-of-sale system (Pawtastic)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bubbly Paws · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bubbly Paws franchise?
The total investment to open a Bubbly Paws franchise ranges from $197K – $371K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bubbly Paws franchise owners earn?
Bubbly Paws does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Bubbly Paws FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Bubbly Paws FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Bubbly Paws's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bubbly Paws (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 Bubbly Paws franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bubbly Paws has 5 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 5 company-owned units.
Is Bubbly Paws a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bubbly Paws as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 44 out of 100 (higher is better), 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.