Franchise Facts Report → compare → Subway vs Dairy Queen of Virginia
Subway vs Dairy Queen of Virginia
Two quick-service restaurant franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Subway | Dairy Queen of Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $238,623 – $536,745 | $570,100 – $2,550,800 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $15,000 | $3,600 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 8% | — |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | — | $1,518,403 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 20,133 | 1,965 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -443 | +13 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | 1.3% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 89 | 7 |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2024 |
Are Subway and Dairy Queen of Virginia the same company?
No — Subway and Dairy Queen of Virginia are franchised by separate companies. Subway's franchisor is Doctor's Associates LLC; Dairy Queen of Virginia's is Dairy Queen of Virginia, Inc.. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $238,623 – $536,745, against $570,100 – $2,550,800 for Dairy Queen of Virginia.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Dairy Queen of Virginia disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,518,403), while Subway's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Subway reports 20,133 franchised outlets, net change -443 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Dairy Queen of Virginia reports 1,965 franchised outlets, net change +13 in the latest reported year, a 1.3% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against quick-service restaurant medians.
Litigation
Subway discloses 89 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Dairy Queen of Virginia discloses 7 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against quick-service restaurant peers.
Only looking at one of them?
Subway vs Dairy Queen of Virginia — frequently asked
Are Subway and Dairy Queen of Virginia the same company?
No — Subway and Dairy Queen of Virginia are franchised by separate companies. Subway's franchisor is Doctor's Associates LLC; Dairy Queen of Virginia's is Dairy Queen of Virginia, Inc.. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Subway and Dairy Queen of Virginia?
Subway and Dairy Queen of Virginia are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (Doctor's Associates LLC and Dairy Queen of Virginia, Inc.). Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $238,623 – $536,745, against $570,100 – $2,550,800 for Dairy Queen of Virginia. Only Dairy Queen of Virginia disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,518,403), while Subway's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Subway more profitable than Dairy Queen of Virginia?
Only Dairy Queen of Virginia disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,518,403), while Subway's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Subway or Dairy Queen of Virginia?
Subway is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $238,623 – $536,745, against $570,100 – $2,550,800 for Dairy Queen of Virginia.
Is Subway or Dairy Queen of Virginia growing faster?
Subway reports 20,133 franchised outlets, net change -443 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Dairy Queen of Virginia reports 1,965 franchised outlets, net change +13 in the latest reported year, a 1.3% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Quick-service restaurant rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Subway 2024, Dairy Queen of Virginia 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.