Dash InFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A DASH IN franchise requires a total initial investment of $120K – $680K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 30.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $120K – $680K
- 11th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 21st pct Retail
- Royalty
- 30.0%
- 29th pct Retail
- Units
- 55
- 20th pct Retail
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Retail 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
Franchised units fell from 43 to 39 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $120K – $680K including a $25K franchise fee, 30.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 38/100.
- System contracting at -9.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Dash In Food Stores, Inc.
- Parent company
- The Wills Group, Inc. (TWGI)
- Incorporated in
- MD
- HQ
- 102 Centennial Street, La Plata, Maryland 20646
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $523.0M
- vs $485.5M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
DASH IN franchisees operate quick-service convenience or automotive service locations (exact format unclear from available data). Daily operations likely involve managing point-of-sale systems, inventory, staffing, customer service, and compliance with brand standards while remitting 30% of gross profit to corporate.
- CEO
- Julian B. Wills, III
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 1986
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing · 9 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25K | $25K | |
| Site Fee | $25K | $475K | |
| Initial Deposit | $10K | $10K | |
| Initial Inventory, Cash Register Fund and Store Supply Items | $44K | $107K | |
| Training Expenses | $3K | $5K | |
| Insurance | $900 | $2K | |
| Professional Fees | $1K | $5K | |
| Business Licenses | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (for first three months) | $10K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $120K | $680K |
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
- $120K – $680K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 30.0%
- Gross Profit · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 30.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 30.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Total fee load | 30.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Retail averages
How Dash In Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 55
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 3.6%
- Company-owned
- 15
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 73%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -2.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -9.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 0.2%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 95.1%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 0.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 3 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.
3
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
DASH IN presents HIGH RISK due to declining unit count, predatory 30% profit royalty, complete absence of financial performance data, and unprotected territory—unsuitable for prospective franchisees unable to verify profitability claims.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $475,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 38 / 100 rating
- 01MEDSystem contracting: -2.5% YoY unit decline with only 55 locations indicates shrinking franchise network and potential market saturation or operational challenges
- 02MINORExtreme royalty burden: 30% of gross profit is exceptionally high and leaves minimal margin for franchisee profitability after operating expenses
- 03MEDZero financial transparency: No disclosed average revenue or net income makes ROI impossible to validate; franchisor refusing Item 19 is major red flag
- 04MINORUnprotected territory: Lack of territorial exclusivity creates cannibalization risk and direct competition from other franchisees in same market
- 05MINORWide investment range: $119.6K–$680.3K spread suggests inconsistent startup costs and unclear capital requirements
- 06HIGHNo going concern disclaimer: False status contradicts typical franchise disclosure; requires verification of franchisor financial health
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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 48 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 36 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- Verifone, NCR or Gilbarco
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Verifone, NCR or Gilbarco
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
DASH IN · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a DASH IN franchise?
The total investment to open a DASH IN franchise ranges from $120K – $680K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do DASH IN franchise owners earn?
DASH IN 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 DASH IN's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for DASH IN (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 DASH IN franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, DASH IN has 55 total units in the United States, including 43 franchised units and 15 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is DASH IN a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates DASH IN as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 38 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.