On May 11, 2006, Dean Young announced the opening of the first of in a chain of licensed Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes that summer in Clearwater, Florida. In the comic strip around the time of the opening, characters discussed the notion of Dagwood opening his own sandwich shop. During its period of operation there were locations in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and Georgia. The chain suffered from financial difficulties and the promised 1,300 locations never materialized. Two lawsuits were filed against the developers and Dean Young alleging fraud about the chain's financial situation and the brand's strength. One was dismissed while the other was settled in arbitration. By 2011 the entire chain had gone bankrupt and every store related to the venture had closed. According to promotional materials at the time of the chain's opening, the official Dagwood sandwich served at Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes had the following ingredients: three slices of deli bread, hard salami, pepperoni, cappicola, mortadella, deli ham, cotto salami, cheddar, Provolone, red onion, green leaf lettuce, tomato, fresh and roasted red bell peppers, mayo, mustard, and a secret Italian olive salad oil.