HOW TO FRANCHISE
Become a part of our comic book store franchise community.
Franchisee Requirements
ARE WE A GOOD FIT?
Have you always wanted to run a GREAT comic book and game store?
With a diverse merchandise mix of comics, cards, games and more, your shop can attract and satisfy a greater number of customers. The key to acquiring and keeping good customers is having excellent customer service, great infrastructure, professional systems and interesting products. Work with us to acquire the necessary skills and products. Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy ® has been creating loyal, happy customers since 1986!
OUR FRANCHISE PROVIDES:
- Experience
- Training and ongoing support
- Ongoing reviews of stores to encourage consistent standards
- Brand recognition
- Help with store location, design and lease negotiations
- Initial and ongoing help with product ordering and inventory management
- Access to established industry experts
WE WANT PEOPLE WHO:
(You don’t have to check all these boxes 😉 )
- Love Comics, Cards and Games*
- Have a desire to provide your customers an inclusive, fun and professional experience**
- Are mature emotionally and intellectually
- Are willing to follow a franchise system while continuously striving to help improve it
- Have good credit and the necessary financing (alas, it costs money to open a store)
- Have the support of their families
- Have prior professional, retail or military experience (appreciated, but not required)
A couple of important notes:
* Owning a Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® store is a vocation as well as a job. If your primary concern is Return on Investment, you should look at another franchise. Very few franchises will require the immersion and dedication to staying part of the geek community that owning a comic book, card and game store franchise location will. If you love comics and games, and being around people who enjoy them as much (or more) than you do, you are likely going to love owning a store, at least much of the time. Our customers are the most fun people that I know.
** Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® supports LGBTQ+ communities and is dedicated to providing employees and customers an inclusive and respectful experience regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity or country of origin. Truly, if this doesn’t suit you, we are NOT a good match. Look no further. We wish you good fortune SOMEWHERE ELSE.
Got a Question?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much will I make?
While I cannot make predictions about what you will gross or net. I can share with you the following:
From the 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document
ITEM 19
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPRESENTATIONS
(An Excerpt Only!)
“Four Dragon’s Lair franchisees have been open at least one year in large metropolitan areas. The average annual gross sales for these stores was $1,840,517.77 in 2021 and $1,319,554.67 in 2020. The median annual gross sales for these stores was $1,509,811.98 in 2021 and $789,163.21 in 2020. The annual gross sales for these stores ranged from $1,361,483.90 to $2,980,963.21 in 2021, and from $723,290.20 to $2,976,602.07 in 2020.
These figures are based on the average gross sales for franchisees as further noted below [in the complete Article 19, which this is NOT]. Gross sales do not account for the franchisee’s costs and expenses. Expenses vary from location to location and from one franchisee to another. This gross sales information is not a forecast, projection, or prediction of how your franchise will perform.
These gross sales figures should not be relied upon as the actual or potential gross sales that you will realize. It is likely that your gross sales will differ from the information contained in this Item 19.”
For more information, please request a copy of the complete Franchise Disclosure Document.
How much does it cost to open a Dragon’s Lair comic book franchise store?
Your cost to open your store will depend on many factors, including size of the store, location, cost of fixtures, etc.
In the 2022 Franchise disclosure document I estimate that it will cost between $266,500 to $361,700 to open your store. Approximately 2/3rds of this amount will be spent to open your store. The other approximately 1/3rd will be kept on hand as operating capital.
How much inventory will I start with?
From Item 7 of the Franchise Disclosure Document:
Starting inventory: ~$60k–$80k wholesale
What will I owe the franchise on an ongoing basis?
Besides the $28k of the initial franchise fee (which is used to help defray franchisor costs in getting your store open) there is an ongoing Royalty of 3% of gross. There is also a Marketing Fee that can be up to 2% of gross sales, but is currently 1%.
How do you define gross sales?
An excerpt from Item 6 of the Franchise Disclosure Document:
“Gross Sales” means all revenue from the sale of all services and products and all other income of every kind and nature related to the Franchised Business or premises, including proceeds of any business interruption insurance policies, and the sale of any promotional or premises items, whether for cash or credit, and regardless of collection in the case of credit, but shall not include (i) any sales taxes or other taxes collected from customers by you for transmittal to the appropriate taxing authority, (ii) the amount of refunds made to customers, and (iii) any amounts from coupon, gift or discount programs approved by us for which you are not reimbursed.
How large of a store will you want me to start with?
Ideally, in a healthy market, your initial store will be approximately between 3,500–4,500 square feet. In a few special cases it might be smaller or larger than that amount.
LAIR LOCATIONS
AUSTIN
COLUMBUS, OHIO
HOUSTON NORTH
SAN ANTONIO ALAMO RANCH
SAN ANTONIO MEDICAL CENTER
Get In Touch
CONTACT FRANCHISOR
Reach us at (512) 924-0312 or fill out the form below.
DISCLAIMER:
This is not an offer to sell a franchise as an offer may only be made by a franchise disclosure document prepared in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s franchise laws and applicable state laws. Filing of a franchise disclosure document does not constitute the state’s approval of the franchise disclosure document.