What are franchisees required to do regarding construction and remodeling to conform to Dog Haus standards?
Dog_Haus Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
abor and subcontractor fees; and other costs to construct leasehold improvements that conform to our standards. You must perform or have performed any construction, remodeling, or additions necessary to cause the premises to conform to applicable Federal, state, county, city, local laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations and meet our requirements for the layout design, construction, fixturization, equipment and installation, and the trade dress appearance of a Franchised Restaurant. Construction and remodeling costs vary widely depending upon the location, design, the condition and configuration of existing services and facilities such as air conditioning, electrical and plumbing, lease terms and the local real estate market. These estimates presume that you will receive a "vanilla shell" from your landlord. For purposes of these estimates, a "vanilla shell" includes leased premises with one restroom built to local code specifications in a location specified in the tenant improvement plans for your Dog Haus Restaurant; (2) sheet-rocked, taped and painted walls; (3) concrete floor, broom clean; (4) grease interceptor; (5) 200-40 amp low voltage electrical service distributed to local code specifications; (6) fluorescent 4' x 2' lighting fixtures with usually one fixture per 150-200 square feet; (7) HVAC system distributed at one ton per 175-200 square feet depending upon local climate conditions and use, generally with a gas heating system and an electrical air conditioning system; (8) fire sprinklers per local code specifications distributed throughout the premises designed for retail use; and (9) water, gas, cable and telephone service stubbed to the rear of the premises. If you do not receive a "vanilla shell" from your landlord, your leasehold construction costs may substantially exceed these estimates. These estimates do not include demolition expenses.
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- The estimates provided are the cost to purchase a computerized cash accounting and POS system (see Item 11), including installation and monthly service fees for your first 3 months of operation. Your costs may vary. We require you to use approved hardware. Currently, we use a Toast POS System, including the Dog Haus Suite of Tools, a dashboard portal for location sales and operation reports; support plans and handheld terminals. The Toast POS system is available from Toast, Inc., the only supplier we currently approve. The cost to install a Toast POS System in a Dog Haus Fast Casual Restaurant or Dog Haus Biergarten ranges from $8,300- $12,000. The cost to install a Toast POS System in a Dog Haus Remote Kitchen ranges from $800- $1,500. In addition to the installation costs for a Dog Haus Fast Casual Restaurant, Dog Haus Biergarten or Dog Haus Remote Kitchen, you also must pay a monthly service fee ranging from $254 - $500 for help desk services, menu programming, web reporting and a mobile point of sale application. You must accept online orders through our website and mobile applications (see Item 11).
Source: Item 7 — ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT (FDD pages 22–31)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Dog Haus's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are responsible for ensuring that the premises of their franchised restaurant conform to all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules, and regulations. This includes meeting Dog Haus's specific requirements for layout design, construction, fixturization, equipment installation, and overall trade dress appearance. Franchisees must perform or have performed any necessary construction, remodeling, or additions to achieve this conformity.
The FDD estimates that pre-construction costs, including those for an architect, project manager, plans, and permits, will range from $45,000 to $85,000. Leasehold construction costs are estimated to be between $125,000 and $180,000. These costs cover project and construction management, general contractor fees, insurance, materials, supplies, tools, labor, and subcontractor fees. Dog Haus requires franchisees to use a licensed architect approved by them for preparing the restaurant plans. While Dog Haus recommends using their architect, franchisees can choose a different one, subject to Dog Haus's approval and a $1,500 plan review fee paid to Dog Haus's architect.
The document presumes that the franchisee will receive a "vanilla shell" from their landlord. A vanilla shell includes a restroom built to local code, sheet-rocked, taped, and painted walls, a broom-clean concrete floor, a grease interceptor, 200-40 amp low voltage electrical service, fluorescent lighting, an HVAC system, fire sprinklers, and stubbed water, gas, cable, and telephone service. If the franchisee does not receive a vanilla shell, the leasehold construction costs may substantially exceed the provided estimates. These estimates do not include demolition expenses.