What criteria must the Principal Owner meet for the Dog Haus franchise position?
Dog_Haus Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You must designate a Principal Owner acceptable to us who will be responsible for the operational decisions of your Franchised Restaurant. Your Principal Owner must devote his or her full time to the Franchised Restaurant and must own at least 10% interest in your equity and voting rights (unless you are a publicly held entity or a wholly-owned subsidiary of a publicly-held entity) when you sign your Franchise Agreement. Under certain circumstances we may waive the requirement that your Principal Owner must have a 10% interest in your equity and voting rights. You must also designate a General Manager who will be the individual responsible for your Franchised Business in the absence of the Principal Owner. Your General Manager does not have to own an equity interest in you or the franchise. Your Franchised Restaurant must, at all times, be directly supervised by the Principal Owner. Your Principal Owner, if applicable, must, unless otherwise agreed in writing (i) devote 100% of his or her time and best efforts solely to the operation of your Dog Haus Restaurant; (ii) meet our educational, experience, financial and other reasonable criteria for the position, as contained in the Manuals or otherwise in writing; (iii) be an owner with 10% or more (direct or indirect) of your equity and voting rights, and (iv) be approved by us.
You must provide comprehensive initial training programs, additional training programs and refresher training programs for your other employees. Your Principal Owner and each General Manager and other supervisorial or managerial personnel must successfully complete the ServSafe Food Safety Certification Program. Your Principal Owner and each General Manager must successfully complete the Certified Beer Server Program which is the first level of certification in the Cicerone Certification Program®. We may require each of your owners, General Managers and other supervisorial and managerial employees who will have access to any confidential information to sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit F. None of the provisions in the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement are intended to prohibit or restrict any activity which prohibition or restriction violates your employees' rights to engage in protected concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act.
Source: Item 15 — OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRANCHISE BUSINESS (FDD pages 61–62)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Dog Haus's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Principal Owner is a key figure who is responsible for the operational decisions of the franchised restaurant. Dog Haus requires the Principal Owner to devote their full time to the restaurant. They must also own at least a 10% interest in the equity and voting rights of the franchise, unless the franchisee is a publicly held entity or a wholly-owned subsidiary of one. Dog Haus may, under certain circumstances, waive the 10% ownership requirement.
The Principal Owner must meet Dog Haus's educational, experience, financial, and other reasonable criteria for the position, as detailed in the manuals or in writing. The Principal Owner must directly supervise the franchised restaurant at all times. Furthermore, the Principal Owner must devote 100% of their time and best efforts solely to the operation of the Dog Haus restaurant, unless otherwise agreed in writing with Dog Haus.
In addition to these requirements, the Principal Owner must successfully complete the ServSafe Food Safety Certification Program and the Certified Beer Server Program, which is the first level of certification in the Cicerone Certification Program®. Dog Haus also requires the Principal Owner to attend and complete two days of marketing training at Dog Haus's corporate office as part of the Pre-Opening Initial Training Program.
Prospective franchisees should carefully review the Dog Haus manuals and franchise agreement to fully understand all the criteria and expectations for the Principal Owner role. It is also important to discuss any potential waivers or alternative arrangements with Dog Haus directly.