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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Central Bark Franchise

Central Bark is a dog daycare and pet services franchise founded in 1997 and built around a science-based “Whole Dog Care” model. The brand pairs enrichment-focused daycare with boarding, grooming, training and a retail market, serving dog owners who want structured, wellness-oriented care rather than high-volume play.

The business runs on a membership model: daycare dogs attend at least once a week, which supports safer socialization through smaller, behavior-matched playgroups and gives owners predictable recurring revenue. Multiple service streams allow cross-selling across grooming, boarding, training and retail. Central Bark is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and operates a network of roughly 40 locations across the United States.

What sets the brand apart is its emphasis on canine behavioral science: smaller playgroups, dedicated rest areas and balanced daily activity, positioned as better for dogs and for long-term customer loyalty. Franchisees operate protected territories within an established system that has franchised for around two decades.

Latest Resales

Why buy a Central Bark Franchise?

Central Bark sits in the premium tier of a large, resilient pet care category, and its membership-led model is a core reason to consider buying a Central Bark franchise. Required weekly attendance turns daycare into recurring revenue rather than one-off visits, while grooming, boarding, training and retail add cross-selling streams from the same customer base.

The brand leans on its behavioral-science approach as a differentiator that supports customer retention and a calmer, safer operating environment than high-capacity competitors. Owners join an established, nationally recognized system with around two decades of franchising history, ongoing support and territory protection.

Central Bark Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2003

    • Franchising Since

      2004

    • New Startup Cost

      $620,100 – $1,394,250

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $55,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $15,000

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Sales or $500/mo min

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      44

    • New Units Opened *

      5

    • Units Transferred *

      2

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $902,805

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Central Bark – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Central Bark provides initial training of 49.5 hours of classroom instruction plus 44 hours of on-the-job training, delivered through Central Bark University. Ongoing support covers science-based operating protocols, a marketing hub with ready-made ads and flyers, and a franchisee network for peer connection, plus personalized guidance from the support team. Buyers of an existing Central Bark unit should confirm what transfer training and Central Bark University access are provided to incoming owners and which staff are already trained.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Central Bark suits hands-on, community-minded operators who love dogs but also run the location as a business. Day-to-day ownership is operations- and team-led: recruiting and managing caring staff, maintaining behavioral-care standards, driving membership sales and local marketing, and cross-selling grooming, boarding and retail. No veterinary or prior pet-industry background is required, but comfort managing employees, customer relationships and a recurring-membership service is important. People-management and local-marketing strengths matter more than personal dog-handling skill.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Central Bark was named a Top Franchise for Satisfaction by Franchise Business Review in 2024, a recognition drawn from independent franchisee survey feedback, and its system is FRANdata Franchise Registry verified. With more than two decades of franchising and a nationally recognized brand in premium dog care, it has built credibility around its science-based model. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific territory's local reviews, referral sources and community reputation.

  4. Industry / Market

    Central Bark operates in the US pet care market, where spending reached about $152 billion in 2023 (American Pet Products Association) and roughly 68 million US households own a dog. Demand is driven by pet humanization and dual-income households willing to pay for premium daycare, boarding and grooming, and the category has proven resilient: research shows many owners cut personal spending before trimming pet budgets. Morgan Stanley has projected around 8% annual growth, a tailwind that supports recurring-revenue models like daycare memberships.

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