We take great pride in providing exceptional support services to our franchisee family.

Regional Franchise Recruiter

A meeting with one of our Regional Franchise Recruiters is the first step in becoming DQ franchisee. In addition to providing the details needed to help you make a decision and apply for a new franchise, they’ll also gather information about you: background, experience, financial capabilities, and proposed management structure. Once your application is complete, the recruiter will submit a formal package to our Development Review Committee for consideration.

Site Selection Assistance

Choosing the right site is very important to the success of your DQ Grill & Chill restaurant or DQ Orange Julius store. Our Real Estate or Lease Manager will work along side you to review our site criteria and market trade areas for the development of your establishment. If the chosen site appears to be acceptable, a Real Estate or Lease Manager will submit a formal site package to our Development Review Committee on your behalf.

Discovery Day

Upon preliminary approval of your application and consent of your site, you will attend Discovery Day at our headquarters in Minneapolis.  During this meeting, you will be involved in an informal Q&A session with members of our Development Review Committee. In addition, you will meet with the members of our team that will assist in the development and opening of your restaurant, including:

• Architecture & Construction
• Finance
• EPOS
• Equipment & Supply
• Credit
• Training & Operations
• Marketing

Discovery Day is our opportunity to get to know each other better and to answer important questions regarding the development of your proposed restaurant.

Contracts and Services

We’ll take care of preparing and maintaining all store Operating Agreements and related franchise documents.

Project Coordination

As soon as your franchise application is approved and your site has received our consent, we’ll designate a New Store Project Coordinator who’ll provide exceptional help right up to and through your grand opening. Their services include helping you create an opening timeline; coordinating all of your needs with the DQ Architecture, Construction, Equipment, Training and Operations departments; and maintaining communication with you throughout the development process.

Architecture & Construction

You can count on our seasoned architecture and construction teams for everything from feasibility drawings, prototypical construction plans, plan reviews, assistance in selecting architects and contractors and qualifying bids to construction coordination, overall project coordination and on-site inspections during the construction phase of your project.

Training

We believe great training is essential to great business results. In fact, we’ll even pay the training tuition from the franchise fee. Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to successfully operate your restaurant. If you are investing in a DQ Grill & Chill restaurant, we’ll provide five weeks of classroom and on-the-job training at a certified regional training location. DQ Orange Julius franchisees or operators spend three weeks training in the field. Program highlights include:

• Management training classes for all DQ concepts, including a comprehensive curriculum to create stronger, better-educated managers and franchisees
• In-depth and ongoing crew training materials, including in-store leader guides, DVDs and job aids
• Ongoing training to existing store managers and franchisees, conducted via seminars and other training tools
• Ongoing professional development curriculum to corporate employees and field staff
•  Ongoing training materials in support key operations and marketing initiatives

Equipment & Supply

We’ll connect you with industry-leading suppliers who will provide all the equipment, apparel and other essentials you need to serve up quality offerings in a first-class setting. Our commitment to you includes:

• Managing the distribution of approved equipment through N. Wasserstrom & Sons for new stores or remodeling projects, as well as replacement equipment for existing restaurants
• Managing the distribution of restaurant smallwares, and cake decorating supplies through The Wasserstrom Company
• Providing technical support and troubleshooting services
• Managing the distribution of equipment required for new-menu product rollouts
• Coordinating the development and distribution of uniforms and DQ and Orange Julius branded products and apparel through DQ Red Ribbon.
• Supporting efforts to reduce the investment cost for store equipment packages

Operations Consulting Group

You can tap into our savvy Operations Consulting Group for:

• Local trade area marketing assistance
• Help during the restaurant opening process – coaching the franchisee and management team while they train their new employees
• Tips on developing and implementing a business plan that focuses on facility, financial, personnel and menu management, in addition to local marketing

Marketing

You’ll also have an experienced marketing team at the ready! The initial marketing of your restaurant includes every step you need to execute an effective Grand Opening celebration and drive repeat sales. You'll also benefit from regional and national campaigns designed to boost brand and product awareness, customer traffic and guest satisfaction.  Specifically, you can expect:

• Support from a Regional Marketing Manager who is assigned to your DMA and oversees regional marketing plans, while also assisting with local marketing programs
• Assistance with planning and execution of Grand Opening program
• Point-of-purchase materials for national promotions
• Local marketing programs to help you connect with your community
• And much more!

Retail Technology

In addition to providing support for point-of-sale (POS) system installations in new stores, we’ll keep you on the cutting edge with advanced technologies that allow you to:

• Gather sales, labor, peak sales, and product mix data from polling locations
• Use information analysis to assist in strategic decisions concerning menu management, tier pricing of products, promotional analysis, and new products for the DQ system

And, as a category leader, we’re always building new partnerships with preferred technology vendors, with the goal of enhancing your operations.

Field Support

Once your restaurant is open and operating, we'll still be with you to help address operational issues and smooth your path to success. Your Business Consultant will work closely with you on financial management, training, product preparation, customer service, marketing and staffing.