Dash In Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $120K – $680K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Dash In is a convenience store franchise, part of the Wills Group, operating c-stores with fuel and made-to-order food across the Mid-Atlantic. Franchisees run the stores, managing fuel, foodservice, inventory, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A DASH IN franchise requires a total initial investment of $120K – $680K, including a $25K franchise fee. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. 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: high - issued more than two years ago
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 scored3 of 3 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $120K – $680K
- 11th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- Not extracted
- Units
- 54
- 22nd pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $120K – $680K including a $25K franchise fee.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 65/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 2 closed) (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem 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
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Dash In Food Stores, Inc.
- Parent company
- The Wills Group, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2024 FDD
- Incorporated in
- MD
- HQ
- 102 Centennial Street, La Plata, Maryland 20646
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $485.5M
- vs $523.0M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Julian B. Wills, III
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 1986
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 3
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 19% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown9 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
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- DASH IN Charge of 30% of Gross Profit, payable monthly, w…
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 30.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | 30% of Gross Profit (called DASH IN Charge); increases to 35% if state/local law restricts collection on alcoholic beverages sold at a 24-hour store |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Inventory (initial) | $40K – $100K |
| Total fee load | 30.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
DASH IN makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one DASH IN 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 annual revenue, royalty rate, ad fund rate, 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.
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 30.0% — above the Retail median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -9.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Retail medians
How Dash In Compares
Category median of published Retail 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 54
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 3.7%
- Company-owned
- 15
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 72%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -9.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -9.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- 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)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
2 current owners across 1 state.
- MD 2
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. 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.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
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.
Why this reads harsher than the B grade: the grade weighs financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency across the whole filing, while this summary lists individual flags without that weighting. The flags are worth checking with current owners; neither is investment advice.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Consolidated financial statements of Dash In Food Stores, Inc. and Subsidiaries (a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Wills Group, Inc.). FY2023 net sales = petroleum products $374,824,527 + merchandise $116,107,746 less sales royalty sites merchandise revenue $5,425,702. Net income shown is total consolidated ($9,606,457); net income attributable to Dash In Food Stores, Inc. was $5,845,654 after $3,760,803 noncontrolling interests. Auditor for FY2023 was Grant Thornton LLP (FY2022/2021 audited by a different firm).
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 verdict
- 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
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 30.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · 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 | No territory protection |
| 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 |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 1 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Maryland (principal place of business of franchisor) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MD |
| 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
- La Plata, Maryland and/or a nearby company-owned DASH IN Store
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- 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
2 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 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 makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns DASH IN?
DASH IN is franchised by Dash In Food Stores, Inc.. Its parent company is The Wills Group, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the DASH IN 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 DASH IN FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
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 54 total units in the United States, including 39 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 B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 65 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.