Central Bark Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Central Bark is a dog daycare franchise offering doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, and training. Franchisees run the facilities, managing staff, pet care operations, scheduling, and retail sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Central Bark franchise requires a total initial investment of $640K – $1.4M, including a $35K – $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $903K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 3.6% charge-off rate across 55 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $640K – $1.4M
- 82nd pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- $903K
- 36th pct Pet Services
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 16th pct Pet Services
- Units
- 44
- 69th pct Pet Services
- SBA charge-off
- 3.6%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
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 $640K – $1.4M including a $55K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $903K/year (median $812K). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 50/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 3.6% across 55 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 17.1% CAGR over 3 years with 44 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Barkley Ventures, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- NSF Bark, LLC
- Predecessor
- Barkley Ventures, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Robert Wilson Crawford, III
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 3699 N. Dixie Hwy, Oakland Park, Florida 33334
- Auditor
- UHY LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.1M
- vs $2.9M prior year
Affiliated brands
- and predecessor
- Barkley Ventures IP
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Robert Wilson Crawford, III
- Headquarters
- Florida
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 14
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 45% above the typical pet services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35K | $55K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $333K | $850K | |
| Architectural Feenot refundable | $8K | $25K | |
| Equipment, Fixturesnot refundable | $98K | $133K | |
| Store Signagenot refundable | $3K | $20K | |
| Security Deposits | $7K | $25K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $3K | $10K | |
| Initial Launch Advertisingnot refundable | $26K | $50K | |
| Pre-Opening Promotional Packagenot refundable | $0 | $7K | |
| Pre-Opening Training travel and lodging expensenot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Training Materialsnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Misc. (legal, permits)not refundable | $3K | $13K | |
| Suppliesnot refundable | $6K | $30K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $5K | $12K | |
| Computer Hardware and Softwarenot refundable | $1K | $10K | |
| Microsite Feesnot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Lease Assignment Agreement Reviewnot refundable | $500 | $5K | |
| Vehiclenot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Rentnot refundable | $8K | $15K | |
| Additional Funds (3 mos.)not refundable | $30K | $120K | |
| Total initial investment | $569K | $1.4M |
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.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $640K – $1.4M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $150K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $55K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $495 |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $2K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 27% above the pet services norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
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
$135K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
12%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
8.2 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Central Bark unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
12%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Central Bark units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$1.4M
on $7.2M purchase
Total debt
$5.8M
SBA $3.6M + senior + seller note
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $903K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $812K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Average Gross Sales, Average Operating Profit, Annual Gross Sales by Location, Expense/Profit % of Gross Sales, Revenue Mix
- Sample size
- 36 outlets
- vs category median 12 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $414K→$2.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- full
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 68 Pet Services brands
Revenue is only 0.9x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $903K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 0.9x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Pet Services average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 17.1% CAGR over 3 years across 44 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Central Bark Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 44
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- 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
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +17.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +17.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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.
- Total loans
- 55
- Loan volume
- $27.5M
- Median loan
- $500K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 3.6%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
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
- 16.7%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 26
- Defaults
- 2
Vintage analysis
Central Bark charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Central Bark franchisees
Showing 3 of 26 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Central Bark's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 16 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 3.6% — 78% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Moderate-to-cautious investment with undisclosed financial performance data, slow unit growth, high capital requirements relative to modest returns, and ambiguous franchisor financial status.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Largest disclosed settlement: $75,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · UHY LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 50 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSlow unit growth of 7.9% YoY suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction concerns in a pet services sector with strong demand
- 02HIGHGoing Concern flag is FALSE — unusual disclosure that raises questions about franchisor financial stability or recent restructuring
- 03MINOR6% royalty on $825,930 avg revenue = $49,556/year to franchisor, yet many successful pet franchises operate at lower royalty rates
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 20,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 3 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Within 50 miles of franchisor's principal place of business (currently Oakland Park, Florida) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 74 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 43 hrs
- Training location
- Franklin, Wisconsin (or another designated location, or virtually)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Franchisee, subject to franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Moego
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Moego
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
58 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Central Bark · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Central Bark franchise?
The total investment to open a Central Bark franchise ranges from $640K – $1.4M, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Central Bark franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Central Bark FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $903K. The median is $812K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Central Bark 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 Central Bark FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Central Bark's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Central Bark has a charge-off rate of 3.6% across 55 loans, meaning 3.6% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Central Bark franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Central Bark has 44 total units in the United States, including 44 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Central Bark a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Central Bark as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 50 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.