D-Bat franchise cost: investment, fees and the SBA default rate

Items 5, 6 and 7 · D-Bat FDD 2026 · Updated 2026

A D-Bat franchise costs $503,450–$995,100 in total initial investment, according to Item 7 of the brand's FDD (2026), including an initial franchise fee of $45,000 (Item 5). D-BAT charges no sales-based royalty; Item 6 lists a monthly Management Fee of 40% of Membership Fees, or up to 12% of Gross Revenue for defaulting or low-performing Facilities. On the lending side, D-Bat franchisees defaulted on 15.0% of SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (3 of 20), and the average SBA loan to a D-Bat franchisee in that cohort was $671,375.

How much does it cost to open a D-Bat franchise?

Item 7 of the FDD estimates the total initial investment at $503,450–$995,100. It is the franchisor's own estimate of what a new franchisee spends to open one unit, typically the franchise fee, equipment, premises or vehicle costs, opening inventory and an initial working-capital reserve. The low and high ends usually reflect different unit sizes, leasing versus buying, and local costs. Range covers a single D-BAT Facility under the Franchise Agreement; the Area Development Agreement table (multiple Facilities) is separate and differs.

What does the SBA data add?

The federal loan record adds what the FDD cannot: D-Bat franchisees defaulted on 15.0% of SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (3 of 20 resolved loans), against the Sports and Recreation Instruction industry average of 7.5%, according to U.S. Small Business Administration data with statuses as of June 30, 2026. Since 2020 they have taken 86 new SBA loans, of which 1 have already charged off.

Set the investment range against the loans: an average SBA loan of $671,375 against the $503,450–$995,100 investment range says roughly how much of a typical D-Bat opening was debt-financed in the 2010s. The brand page has the year-by-year record and the industry comparison.

Most SBA default figures published online use loans approved since 2020 — loans that have had six years or less to fail — so those rates are floors, not outcomes. Every rate on this site is computed from the matured FY2010–FY2019 cohort: loans that have been paid in full or charged off, so the result is settled. Loans approved since 2020 are shown as counts so early charge-offs are visible without being mistaken for a rate.