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Dairy Queen is giving franchisees the royal treatment, provided they follow a few rules.
As part of a new incentive program, the Minneapolis-based franchise is paying franchisees $150,000 for every new Grill & Chill restaurant they open on schedule, according to Restaurant Business. Each additional location opened within 18 months earns a $200,000 incentive. The program applies to franchise agreements approved in the U.S. and Canada.
Dairy Queen joins chains like Firehouse Subs and Potbelly using direct cash to recruit franchisees. Its incentive is more generous than most, though the initial investment for a Grill & Chill ranges from $1.5 million to $2.6 million. The chain has been shifting from treats-only stores toward full-fledged fast-food restaurants — a strategy reflected in the numbers. Average unit volumes rose 4.5% to $1.2 million in 2025. However, Dairy Queen also closed more than 2% of its U.S. locations and finished the year with just over 4,100 restaurants, per Technomic Ignite data.