Bark Busters

Bark Busters, a Bark Busters Holdings franchise, has been franchising since 1994 — 5 years after the concept was founded in 1989 , currently with 200 total locations in the pet services sector, headquartered in CO. According to the 2024 FDD, the total initial investment ranges from $75K to $120K — a 60% spread between the low and high end that reflects how site size, market, and buildout scope change the capital requirement. This figure includes the franchise fee of $30K, equipment, leasehold improvements, and initial working capital through the ramp-up period.

Ongoing royalties run 10.0% of gross sales with an additional 2.0% national advertising fund contribution, bringing the combined ongoing cost to 12.0% of every dollar in sales. Notably, Bark Busters does not disclose financial performance (Item 19) in its FDD. That is common (Item 19 is optional under the FTC Franchise Rule) but it puts the burden on prospective buyers to survey existing franchisees (Item 20 contact list), model unit economics from public comparables, and demand validated profit-and-loss data before signing.

Network size has held steady year-over-year, which typically means new openings and closures are roughly offsetting — a stability pattern that can mask underlying churn. Before committing capital, triangulate this summary against the full FDD, a franchise attorney's review, and direct conversations with five or more current and former franchisees from Item 20.