D-BAT Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a D-BAT franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
D-BAT discloses little or no owner-earnings data (Item 19) — the franchisor won't put real profit in writing.
What their own earnings claim actually says
No Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed; Item 19 mentioned only in Maryland addendum regarding post-COVID model changes.
What a D-BAT franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Advertising fund | 2.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 2.5% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $503,450 – $995,100 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Management fee 40% membership fees or up to 12% gross revenue; Construction fee $6K; Software $354/mo; Advertising 2.5% membership fees.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Is D-BAT worth it? — how it compares to 71 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 2.5% of sales | lower than most (median 9%) |
| Startup cost | from $503,450 | pricier than 81% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade F | less honest than most of the category |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every fitness & gyms franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a D-BAT
The franchisor's framing: No Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed; Item 19 mentioned only in Mary… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
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D-BAT franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a D-BAT franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $503,450–$995,100, including a $45,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do D-BAT franchise owners make?
- D-BAT discloses little or no earnings data (Item 19) — meaning the franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. That's a red flag worth questioning.
- What are the D-BAT franchise fees?
- D-BAT's FDD discloses a $45,000 initial franchise fee, a 2.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 2.5% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Management fee 40% membership fees or up to 12% gross revenue; Construction fee $6K; Software $354/mo; Advertising 2.5% membership fees.
- What is the D-BAT franchise profit margin?
- D-BAT discloses no Item 19 earnings representation, so no profit margin can be derived from the FDD at all. Any margin figure quoted elsewhere is an estimate, not a disclosure.
- What is the D-BAT franchise failure rate?
- Franchisor negative equity $7.26M; Item 5 financial assurance deferrals across multiple states.
- How many D-BAT locations are there?
- D-BAT's Item 20 outlet table isn't clearly stated in the filing excerpt — request the full Item 20 before relying on any unit count.
- Does D-BAT have complaints or lawsuits?
- D-BAT discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a D-BAT franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. D-BAT scores F on disclosure honesty, carries about 2.5% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare D-BAT to similar franchises
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with D-BAT or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.