Central Bark Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $620K – $1.4M
- Disclosed sales
- $903K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 55 loans
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 $620K – $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]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $620K – $1.4M
- 78th pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- $903K
- 25th pct Pet Services
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 18th pct Pet Services
- Units
- 44
- 68th pct Pet Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Pet Services median · 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 $620K – $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 66/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +4 franchised outlets in the latest year (5 opened, 2 closed) (Item 20).
- 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.
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- NSF Bark, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- 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 208% 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 Improvements | $441K | $850K | |
| Architectural Fee | $20K | $35K | |
| Equipment, Fixtures | $28K | $135K | |
| Store Signage | $3K | $19K | |
| Security Deposits | $5K | $30K | |
| Opening Inventory | $2K | $10K | |
| Initial Launch Advertising | $26K | $26K | |
| Pre-Opening Promotional Package | $0 | $9K | |
| Pre-Opening Training travel and lodging expense | $2K | $5K | |
| Training Materials | $0 | $500 | |
| Misc. (legal, permits) | $3K | $8K | |
| Supplies | $5K | $20K | |
| Insurance | $3K | $7K | |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $1K | $6K | |
| Microsite Fees | $2K | $4K | |
| Lease Assignment Agreement Review | $0 | $5K | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $2K | |
| Rent | $6K | $18K | |
| Additional Funds (3 mos.) | $40K | $150K | |
| Total initial investment | $620K | $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
- $620K – $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%
- 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 50% above the pet services norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Central Bark until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$1.1M
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
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, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own 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?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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→$2.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 45 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- 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 69 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 median).
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 medians
How Central Bark Compares
Category median of published Pet Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
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
- 4.5%
- 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
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 2
- Reacquired
- 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
8 current owners across 5 states.
- NY 3
- GA 2
- NC 1
- NJ 1
- PA 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 50 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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
- Limited · 55 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 55 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 55 loans
- 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Central Bark from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
Top SBA lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waukesha State Bank | 13 | $6.2M | 0.0% |
| 2 | Bank Five Nine | 5 | $1.2M | 0.0% |
| 3 | The Huntington National Bank | 4 | $1.2M | 100.0% |
| 4 | Live Oak Banking Company | 3 | $2.8M | N/A |
| 5 | Old National Bank | 3 | $2.6M | N/A |
| 6 | Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company | 2 | $608K | 50.0% |
| 7 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 2 | $565K | N/A |
| 8 | First Bank of the Lake | 2 | $1.5M | N/A |
| 9 | Sunrise Banks National Association | 2 | $775K | N/A |
| 10 | PNC Bank, National Association | 1 | $560K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| WIWisconsin | 22 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ILIllinois | 6 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MNMinnesota | 3 | 0 | -- |
| MDMaryland | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NYNew York | 2 | 0 | -- |
| OHOhio | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 2 | 1 | 100.0% |
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · UHY LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 figures are from Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC's OWN audited statements (the franchisor), fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025, clean/unmodified opinion by UHY LLP (Farmington Hills, MI; FY2024 & FY2023 audited by prior auditors, also unmodified). Statements presented in whole US dollars. Reconciles: total assets 991,757 = total liabilities 822,752 (current 518,163 + long-term 304,589) + member's equity 169,005. total_revenue/yr1 = FY2025 total revenues 3,124,273; Other revenue is 'Other fees' 138,695. Prior years posted large net losses (FY2024 -1,169,779; FY2023 -946,770) but FY2025 returned to profit (+158,755) with positive equity; no going-concern paragraph and no distress language, so both flags false. Item 19: distribution reported by TERCILE (not quartile), so quartile fields left null — top-tercile median $1,190,219, middle-tercile median $812,437, low-tercile median $592,866; avg_gross_sales $902,805 is annual gross sales per single unit for a Sales Group of 36 facilities open all of FY2025.
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 66 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSlow unit growth of 7.9% YoY suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction concerns in a pet services sector with strong demand
- 02MINOR6% 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 territory |
| 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
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 $620K – $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.
Who owns Central Bark?
Central Bark is franchised by Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is Barkley Ventures, Inc.. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is NSF Bark, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
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?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Central Bark (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 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 66 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.