Start a D-BAT Academies Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #194 Ranked #223 last year

Initial investment: $536K - $1M

Units as of 2024: 163 45.5% over 3 years

D-BAT was founded in 1998 and began franchising in 2007. The corporate office is in Carrollton, Texas. The company provides indoor training for baseball and softball, complete with batting cages. They also offer merchandise for sale. There are currently more than 100 D-BAT franchise locations.

Cade Griffis and Kyle Griffis dreamed up D-BAT. They started by offering private lessons to players depending on their level of training. It did not take long after that for them to create a facility with equipment for different training levels and become a full-fledged business.

Why Should You Start a D-BAT Franchise?

Sports are an integral part of the entertainment industry. Whether you are a retired sportsperson or just a sports enthusiast, possibly franchising a D-BAT allows you to become a part of a larger sports community.

When you become a franchisee with D-BAT, you may receive the necessary training facilities your business will need to serve customers. D-BAT offers various training equipment and baseball and softball accessories, including wood bats, batting gloves, and more. As a franchisee, you will be all about helping players become the best versions of themselves by enhancing their gameplay.

The D-BAT franchise trains each individual differently, building them up based on their strengths and weaknesses. As a franchisee, you may receive several training courses for both you and your employees on teaching techniques that maximize a player's talents. You may receive on-the-job training and classroom training.

What Might Make A D-BAT Franchise A Good Choice?

To be part of the D-BAT team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment and potential setup fees. Take a look at your finances, which should also include reviewing your net worth. It would be wise to speak to your financial planner and lawyer before handing over any money or signing any agreements.

As part of the franchise agreement, franchisees may receive additional support to operate their local D-BAT franchise. You may receive marketing support and company exposure via social media platforms, websites, and mobile applications.

While an investment with D-BAT requires personal due diligence, it’s good to know that the company has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for several consecutive years. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

How to Start A D-BAT Franchise

As you decide whether or not to purchase a D-BAT franchise, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Talk to advisors, the franchisor, and existing and former franchisees of the company to learn more about what it’s really like to run the franchise. Research the brand and your local area to see if a franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it will not allow for growth.

An ideal candidate for a D BAT franchisee is sports savvy, community-centered, a good teacher, and upbeat. So lace up, grab your bat, and you may just hit a home run with a D BAT franchise.

Company Overview

About D-BAT Academies

Industry	Children's Businesses
Related Categories	Children's Fitness Programs: Sports, Children's Fitness Programs, Sports Equipment & Apparel, Miscellaneous Recreation Businesses, Children's Education/Enrichment, Sports
Founded	1998
Leadership	Cade Griffis, CEO
Corporate Address	2101 Midway Rd., #300 Carrollton, TX 75006
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2007 (18 years)
# of employees at HQ	20
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	163 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a D-BAT Academies franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$45,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$536,450 - $1,031,100
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$300,000 - $5,000,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$75,000 - $200,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$2,500 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	40% of membership fees
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2.5% of membership f
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	D-BAT Academies has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	7 hours
Classroom Training	13.5 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	2-5
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes