{"id":25484,"date":"2026-10-23T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/?p=25484"},"modified":"2026-10-23T17:06:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:06:06","slug":"start-an-ice-cream-franchise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/start-an-ice-cream-franchise\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start an Ice Cream Franchise: A Step-by-Step US Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"25484\" class=\"elementor elementor-25484\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ac2626 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4ac2626\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f5ed10 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6f5ed10\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amy Simmons, who is the founder of Amy\u2019s Ice Creams (Austin), said, \u201cPeople don&#8217;t just go to an ice cream store because they&#8217;re hungry. They go because they&#8217;re happy, or because they want to celebrate, or because they&#8217;re going on a date. It can be a reward. There&#8217;s something about it that&#8217;s just bigger than food.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, the data shows that the global ice cream market size stood at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandviewresearch.com\/industry-analysis\/ice-cream-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$121.4 billion in 2025<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and will amount to $169.4 billion by 2033. In the US alone, the ice cream stores industry has grown at an annualized <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibisworld.com\/united-states\/industry\/ice-cream-shops\/4317\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rate of 5.8%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the five-year period up to 2025, which in a way confirms the fact that if you do it right, an ice cream shop can be one of the most profitable business formats you can get into in the entire hospitality industry.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, again, as Mazen Kanaan, CEO of House Pops, says, \u201cYou need to have a bit of foolishness in order to start [an ice cream business],\u201d because no matter how much passion you have for ice cream and everything around it, fantasizing about the sector will get you so far. It\u2019s only when you pair your foolishness (desire to actually get started) with repeatable systems that you\u2019re bound to find success &#8211; and the good news is that franchise models are built exactly for that &#8211; to give you a proven system, i.e., repeatable systems that you can rely on.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how do you start an ice cream franchise? This article discusses the same in depth.<\/span><\/p><h3>What You\u2019ll Learn<\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can you evaluate whether a particular ice cream franchise opportunity is good for you or not? + How do you estimate startup costs and total investment, and build a proven business model?<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best strategies you can employ to manage seasonal sales (because an ice cream franchise is best in summer, of course), control operating costs, increase customer loyalty, and scale your business.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h2>Step 1: Understand the Common Business Model That Works in the Ice Cream Industry<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f857ab5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f857ab5\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e681872 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"e681872\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/_Ht1TuTnv9s?si=oGaLiN2ItpnQW3jL&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9a96986 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9a96986\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ice cream industry has a structural advantage that most others don&#8217;t have, i.e., multiple revenue channels feeding into a single operation. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/restroworks.com\/restrocast\/mazen-kanaan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kanaan explains<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from his own experience building House of Pops:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;In our model, we operate around seven channels. We have our own shops, we service the hotels, restaurants, cafes, we do events, we do catering, we do online. We are present in the supermarkets; we do schools.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically\u2026multi-channel reach is central to the economics of any ice cream franchise.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why, before you pick a franchise brand, you need to decide which business model fits your goals, your city, and your lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-929737f elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"929737f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\">\n<style>\n@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Poppins:wght@400;600;700&display=swap');\n\n.compare-table-wrapper {\n  width: 100%;\n  overflow-x: auto;\n}\n\n.compare-table {\n  width: 100%;\n  min-width: 750px;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;\n  font-size: 13px;\n  border: 2px solid #000;\n  border-radius: 6px;\n  overflow: hidden;\n  line-height: 1.6;\n  box-shadow: 0 6px 18px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);\n  background-color: #fff;\n}\n\n.compare-table th,\n.compare-table td {\n  border: 1px solid #ddd;\n  padding: 12px 14px;\n  text-align: left;\n  vertical-align: middle;\n}\n\n.compare-table th {\n  background-color: #ffe6ec;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  font-size: 14px;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n  text-align: center;\n}\n\n.compare-table td {\n  color: #333;\n}\n\n.compare-table th:first-child,\n.compare-table td:first-child {\n  min-width: 190px;\n  font-weight: 600;\n}\n\n.compare-table th:nth-child(2),\n.compare-table td:nth-child(2) {\n  min-width: 280px;\n}\n\n.compare-table th:nth-child(3),\n.compare-table td:nth-child(3) {\n  min-width: 240px;\n}\n\n.compare-table tr:nth-child(even) {\n  background-color: #f5f5f5;\n}\n\n.compare-table tr:hover {\n  background-color: #eaeaea;\n  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;\n}\n\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\n  .compare-table {\n    font-size: 12px;\n    min-width: 700px;\n  }\n\n  .compare-table th {\n    font-size: 12px;\n  }\n\n  .compare-table th,\n  .compare-table td {\n    padding: 9px 10px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"compare-table-wrapper\">\n\n<table class=\"compare-table\">\n  <caption style=\"position:absolute !important; width:1px !important; height:1px !important; padding:0 !important; margin:-1px !important; overflow:hidden !important; clip:rect(0,0,0,0) !important; white-space:nowrap !important; border:0 !important;\">\n    Ice cream business formats compared by startup cost range and ideal use case.\n  <\/caption>\n\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>Format<\/th>\n      <th>Startup Cost Range<\/th>\n      <th>Best For<\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n\n  <tbody>\n    <tr>\n      <td>Brick-and-Mortar Franchise<\/td>\n      <td>\n        Easily $300K\u2013$700K for a conventional branded franchise.<br>\n        For example, a Baskin-Robbins franchise requires an initial investment of $307,400\u2013$626,700.\n      <\/td>\n      <td>\n        High-traffic areas<br>\n        Higher brand visibility\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Independent Ice Cream Parlors<\/td>\n      <td>$75K\u2013$250K<\/td>\n      <td>\n        Niche markets and owners who want greater creative control.\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Mobile Dessert Businesses<\/td>\n      <td>\n        $10K\u2013$100K, depending on whether you choose a cart or a truck.\n      <\/td>\n      <td>\n        Events, parks, and neighborhoods where you can reach customers on the go.\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Kiosk \/ Small Scoop Shop<\/td>\n      <td>$25K\u2013$100K+<\/td>\n      <td>\n        High-foot-traffic malls, airports, and compact retail locations.\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c6901d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c6901d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each format varies widely depending on location, lease terms, and the franchisor&#8217;s requirements. Mobile dessert businesses and ice cream trucks tend to offer lower overhead costs, and so they are seen as businesses with more attractive entry points. Ice cream trucks, in particular, have made a solid comeback in recent years as operators are now starting to discover how impulse sales in high-traffic areas boost revenue by multiple folds, and that too without you having to pay fixed rent.<\/span><\/p><h2>Step 2: Do the Market Research to Gauge Demand for Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest mistake, if I were asked to point to only one, you can make is not doing market research. Kanaan, on this, says, &#8220;We opened a shop [at an IFC business district]. It failed miserably. We closed it. Although the rent was very low.&#8221; Even though their core customers did work in that building, they didn\u2019t actively buy ice cream\u2026sales weren\u2019t consistent at all. What the team learned from this was that as much as the target market matters, so does the moment of consumption within that market. No matter how many potential customers you have, if they remain potential only\u2026like if they don\u2019t buy for real\u2026what\u2019s the use?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why experts advocate for good market research. How? It\u2019s easy &#8211; wherever you plan to open your franchise, just go walk around that area at different times of the day. Observe foot traffic on both weekdays and weekends at 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm alike.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also try to talk to people in the community about whether they like to have ice cream or not, if they have teens or children at their home, and when they usually prefer to buy ice cream, if at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/restroworks.com\/restrocast\/alexandre-bachir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alexandre Bachir<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, owner of Bachir Ice Cream, says, \u201cI started doing it two years after arriving in Dubai. I tried to understand the market first because I knew that Dubai is a very big market, very competitive.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To sum, what you should do at this step is:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First of all, go and map all existing ice cream, frozen yogurt, Italian ice, and other frozen dessert businesses that are within a 2-mile radius of where you want to open your own store.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, identify seasonal demand patterns specific to your climate zone.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Survey 50 to 100 potential customers in the target location to validate pricing strategies.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assess whether you&#8217;re entering a market that needs another unit of the same chain or something new.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research which franchise opportunities are SBA-listed, as SBA-backed lenders favor brands on the directory. This will help you get the funding easily.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve analyzed all those &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2>Step 3: Choose the Best Franchise Opportunities and Understand their True Costs<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initial franchise fee for ice cream franchises is usually between $25,000 and $100,000, depending on the chain you want to franchise of &#8211; for this, franchisees need significant liquid capital and a healthy net worth.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For multi-unit franchises, your total investment may even reach $500,000 or more over time.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re already clear with money stuff, here are some of the best franchises with the largest market share in the US:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dairy Queen<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Baskin-Robbins<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold Stone Creamery<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kona Ice<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeremiah&#8217;s Italian Ice<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rita&#8217;s Italian Ice<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chrie.org\/assets\/docs\/JHTC-case-notes\/JHTC-vol-2\/JHTC_Vol2Issue1_Irvine_Case.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold Stone<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Creamery, for reference, grew from a single franchise location in Tempe, Arizona, in 1995 to more than 900 store locations across the US and international markets today.<\/span><\/p><p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25481\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-scaled.png\" alt=\"How to choose best franchise opportunity based on their estimated annual revenue\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Estimated-annual-revenue-ranges-by-format-150x84.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Profit margins for ice cream stores vary based on business model, with independent outlets averaging 15% to 25%, franchises 12% to 20%, and mobile operators 20% to 30%. When evaluating revenue ranges from any franchisor&#8217;s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), always ask for audited financials from three to five franchisees in markets similar to yours, and ask what marketing support the franchisor provides.<\/span><\/p><h2>Step 4: Lock Down Your Location Strategy<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among all the key factors that determine the success of an ice cream store, location sits at the top. Ice cream stores that are strategically located near schools, amusement parks, or tourist spots tend to perform better due to increased foot traffic, while poor location choices are a leading cause of failure. Rent in busy areas can take up 9% to 15% of an ice cream store&#8217;s revenue, while suburban or neighborhood locations typically cost less, ideally aiming for rent to be around 5% to 8% of revenue.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically, your goal should be to be in the location where your target audience already is &#8211; in a good mood, already moving, and already spending.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like, near a movie theater, a public park, near a stadium&#8230;people naturally spend more at these places, and so they will probably spend on a delicious ice cream too, especially because people rarely buy an ice cream to satisfy hunger. Amy Simmons says they do it &#8220;to celebrate, reward themselves, or simply feel something good.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for the type of outlets, gourmet and super premium ice cream stores and artisan parlors tend to outperform in dense urban ZIP codes with median household incomes above $65,000. But even in price-sensitive markets, premium positioning built on artisanal quality and high-quality ingredients (think fresh fruit, waffle cones made in-house, or gluten-free options) can support higher average order value and stronger customer loyalty.<\/span><\/p><h2>Step 5: Build Your Financial Model Around Gross Sales and Control Your Costs<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many ice cream parlors serve 100 to 300 customers daily at an average ticket of $5, potentially generating $30,000 a month in gross sales with a 20% net profit margin, resulting in $6,000 in profit each month. The biggest problem here is that fixed and variable costs vary widely depending on the time of year, and summer can account for up to 70% of annual revenue for ice cream stores, meaning a poor winter plan can, in a way, erase every effort you put into a strong summer.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a85cd18 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"a85cd18\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\">\n<style>\n@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Poppins:wght@400;600;700&display=swap');\n\n.compare-table-wrapper {\n  width: 100%;\n  overflow-x: auto;\n}\n\n.compare-table {\n  width: 100%;\n  min-width: 650px;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;\n  font-size: 13px;\n  border: 2px solid #000;\n  border-radius: 6px;\n  overflow: hidden;\n  line-height: 1.6;\n  box-shadow: 0 6px 18px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);\n  background-color: #fff;\n}\n\n.compare-table th,\n.compare-table td {\n  border: 1px solid #ddd;\n  padding: 12px 14px;\n  text-align: left;\n  vertical-align: middle;\n}\n\n.compare-table th {\n  background-color: #ffe6ec;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  font-size: 14px;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n  text-align: center;\n}\n\n.compare-table td {\n  color: #333;\n}\n\n.compare-table th:first-child,\n.compare-table td:first-child {\n  min-width: 230px;\n  font-weight: 600;\n}\n\n.compare-table th:nth-child(2),\n.compare-table td:nth-child(2) {\n  min-width: 190px;\n  text-align: center;\n  white-space: nowrap;\n}\n\n.compare-table th:nth-child(3),\n.compare-table td:nth-child(3) {\n  min-width: 170px;\n  text-align: center;\n}\n\n.compare-table tr:nth-child(even) {\n  background-color: #f5f5f5;\n}\n\n.compare-table tr:hover {\n  background-color: #eaeaea;\n  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;\n}\n\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\n  .compare-table {\n    font-size: 12px;\n    min-width: 600px;\n  }\n\n  .compare-table th {\n    font-size: 12px;\n  }\n\n  .compare-table th,\n  .compare-table td {\n    padding: 9px 10px;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"compare-table-wrapper\">\n\n<table class=\"compare-table\">\n  <caption style=\"position:absolute !important; width:1px !important; height:1px !important; padding:0 !important; margin:-1px !important; overflow:hidden !important; clip:rect(0,0,0,0) !important; white-space:nowrap !important; border:0 !important;\">\n    Recommended restaurant cost percentages as a share of revenue, with warning signs for cost control.\n  <\/caption>\n\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>Cost Category<\/th>\n      <th>Recommended % of Revenue<\/th>\n      <th>Warning Sign<\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n\n  <tbody>\n    <tr>\n      <td>Labor Costs<\/td>\n      <td>30%\u201340%<\/td>\n      <td>High risk above 42%<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Rent \/ Occupancy<\/td>\n      <td>5%\u201315%<\/td>\n      <td>Review above 15%<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Cost of Goods Sold<\/td>\n      <td>25%\u201335%<\/td>\n      <td>Danger above 38%<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Marketing<\/td>\n      <td>3%\u20136%<\/td>\n      <td>Invest here<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr>\n      <td>Operational Costs (utilities, packaging)<\/td>\n      <td>8%\u201312%<\/td>\n      <td>Monitor closely<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1239951 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1239951\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for labor costs, try to keep it between 30% and 40% of your ice cream store total revenue. How can you do this? There are some ways:<\/span><\/p><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By efficient scheduling &#8211; don\u2019t over- or understaff at any location.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cross-train employees so they are capable enough to handle multiple roles, as the demand calls for.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employ part-time or seasonal workers during weekends and holidays.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Account for payroll taxes when you\u2019re accounting for your annual revenue projections. Payroll taxes may add 7-10% on top of base wages.<\/span><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, invest in proper inventory management. It will help you closely monitor stock levels, order the right quantity of fresh ingredients, and reduce waste\/spoilage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2>Step 6: Build a Customer Experience System<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you listen through the entire Restrocast podcast featuring Mazen Kanaan, the biggest lesson there is that the product (the one you intend to sell &#8211; here, ice cream) is never the whole product (it\u2019s not the only thing you sell &#8211; you sell experience as well).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why Kanaan says, \u201cThe single factor that can drive high sales or lower sales is the promoter, so they are a great asset for us. So we only recruit people who are happy. Who can, you know, have a high-pitched voice. They can be singing.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the most important thing is that this experience should be replicable across each of your locations &#8211; everything \u201cfrom the greeting to how you serve customers to what kind of best seller to suggest to up-trading, to closing, to asking them to take the loyalty card, to follow us on Instagram.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To maximize your sales and encourage repeat business, what you can do is combine comprehensive training in customer service with structured incentive programs so as to keep your employees motivated enough to work on delivering great service, increasing upsells, and driving repeat visits.<\/span><\/p><h2>Step 7: Plan for Seasonality<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a129aa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2a129aa\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-808d783 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"808d783\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/oZuz9AHe9JA?si=u60TZDrr5SElp-xG&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8841856 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8841856\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seasonal demand significantly impacts ice cream store revenue, with summer months accounting for up to 60% of annual sales, while winter months can see a revenue drop of around 30%. Ice cream parlors that do not plan for seasonal fluctuations may face cash flow issues, as fixed expenses remain constant while customer traffic decreases during off-peak months.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, the most important thing here is to understand how you can mitigate the impact of the off-peak season on your ice cream franchise in the first place. There are certain ways to do it:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can have fun with your menu items as per the season. Soft ice cream, refreshing Italian ice, and shaved ice are obvious, but maybe, if you can, you can include some warm desserts and beverages like hot chocolate or oatmeal in your menu.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can reach out to some local businesses in your community that you can potentially partner with to keep your sales on track.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it works for you, you can try giving catering services, launching subscription boxes, and even selling branded merchandise &#8211; these will diversify your monthly source of income and keep your business afloat.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><strong>INDUSTRY INSIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-90fc406 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"90fc406\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e11795f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e11795f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lately, the ice cream franchise industry (and the larger frozen dessert industry) has been undergoing a structural shift. There are four key trends that are taking over:<\/span><\/p><p><strong>Health is the new indulgence<\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consumers now demand natural, low-sugar (hello, frozen yogurt), and allergen-free options. In fact, that\u2019s a baseline expectation in urban markets.<\/span><\/p><p><strong>Distribution is the moat<\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The food delivery industry has doubled in the US and is worth more than $150 billion globally. If you\u2019re still not online and doing doorstep delivery of your ice cream, you might be leaving some obvious cash on the table.<\/span><\/p><p><strong>Data analytics closes the assortment gap<\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Franchisees are now actively using sales, customer, and inventory data to understand which flavors, formats, and products drive more demand and when. This helps them improve margins and ensure each location stocks what its customers actually want.<\/span><\/p><p><strong>Flavor globalization is accelerating<\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Innova Market Insights (2020), 64% of US consumers are very much interested in discovering new flavors from other cultures around the world as well. Successful independent ice cream parlors and franchises are now starting to add South Asian, Latin, and East Asian flavor profiles to their menu as well.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-848b5a7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"848b5a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Are Ice Cream Franchises Profitable?\u00a0<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, with the right systems, ice cream franchises are indeed profitable.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ice cream stores in the U.S. typically generate between $200,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue, with high-performing outlets even crossing the $1 million mark. Independent parlors average 15% to 25% profit margins, and mobile ice cream carts can reach 30%.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But again, you can\u2019t be asking &#8220;are ice cream franchises profitable?&#8221; without asking &#8220;under what conditions?&#8221; because trust me, they play a huge role.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The franchisees who build genuinely profitable businesses measure their daily sales, they track monthly sales by SKU, they train relentlessly, and they stay close to the customer and the community (like they literally understand what their customers want by the back of their hand) even as they grow.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you want to do this, the first thing you need to change right away is that you need to stop thinking just like an operator\u2026everyone who owns a business does that\u2026you need to start thinking like a strategist. Especially because ice cream franchisees tend to see very immediate visibility in the market, and their branding feels very familiar from day one (maybe because the menu, no matter what ice cream shop you go to, is something customers already know and love), the business can be very, very profitable, given you can select the right brand, right location, and the right team from the start.<\/span><\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-scaled.png\" alt=\"Are Ice Cream Franchises Profitable? \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ice-cream-franchise-quote-150x84.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember this very well &#8211; whether you want to run just a small ice cream parlor in a local neighborhood or want to take on a multi-unit brand, you must respect both &#8211; the joy that your product brings to you, your staff, your customers, and the discipline it needs to run the business around it. Build your systems, hire people for happiness and fun, and never (I say, never) underestimate the power of a loyal customer who returns not because they have to, but because, somehow, your store has become a part of their best days.<\/span><\/p><h3>KEY TAKEAWAYS<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-da85717 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"da85717\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e3b171 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3e3b171\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you sign any document, I&#8217;d ask you to please read the FDD line by line, especially Item 7 for costs and Item 19 for earnings, and have a lawyer go through the franchise agreement.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, of course, you need to budget very carefully for everything &#8211; the initial franchise fee is around $25,000, for example, and it can go well over $100,000. Plus, if you account for the actual size and brand you\u2019re going with, the total investment may land between $150,000 and $500,000. Always ask what the franchise fee actually covers.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each brand lists certain eligibility criteria, like minimum net worth and proof of liquid capital, so you can go through them and check if you can even apply to be one of their franchisees or not.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When doing market research, be very, very thorough. For example, if you go to North Dakota and Rhode Island, they are basically registration states, where applicable pre-sale registration has to be in place before a franchise can be sold. On the other hand, South Dakota asks franchisors for a filing, so you better check everything.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mind that the staff turnover is very high in the ice cream industry, so you should invest in building comprehensive training and seasonal staffing into your plan from day one.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure your parlor is accessible to people because, believe it or not, customer access, parking, and visibility are very important if you want your business to succeed.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many franchises diversify their revenue from scoops to gourmet coffee and baked goods like breads, bagels, pretzels, and cakes, and it is important to do so because how else can they overcome seasonal slowdowns? Menu expansion and continuous innovation keep customers coming through the door year-round.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always, always, always match your menu to local demand. If your customers want it, you may include premium, soft ice cream (also known as soft serve), vegan, or allergy-friendly options. Premium, dairy-free, and artisanal frozen desserts are trendy these days; plus, this way, you can play around with unique flavors and health-conscious offerings.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether it&#8217;s the very famous Cold Stone Creamery or another Italian ice franchise, ask current franchisees what a typical year really looks like for them in terms of sales and footfall, and if possible, speak with other business owners in your community too.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good franchisor gives you ongoing operational support, marketing support, and branding support. And because ice cream franchises offer established brand recognition and operational support, they can reduce the risk of failure compared to going independent.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For aspiring entrepreneurs, I\u2019d suggest you research top franchise opportunities, apply to the brand, secure financing, and complete the training the franchisor provides.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df10418 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"df10418\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04d0598 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"04d0598\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69652c1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"69652c1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>1. Are there any ice cream franchises available for under $10,000?<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most traditional ice cream franchises require a much larger investment. With a budget under $10,000, your options are limited to maybe mobile carts, small kiosk concepts, or independent ice cream parlors.<\/span><\/p><h3>2. How long does it take for an ice cream franchise to become profitable?<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most ice cream franchises take 18 to 36 months to break even and maybe earn a profit, but that too usually depends on where the parlor is located, how much the initial franchise fee and startup costs were, what the daily and monthly expenses are, and what kind of customer traffic you see every day.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amy Simmons, who is the founder of Amy\u2019s Ice Creams (Austin), said, \u201cPeople don&#8217;t just go to an ice cream store because they&#8217;re hungry. They go because they&#8217;re happy, or because they want to celebrate, or because they&#8217;re going on a date. It can be a reward. There&#8217;s something about it that&#8217;s just bigger than [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":25483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert-insights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25484"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25489,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25484\/revisions\/25489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.restroworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}