Cold Stone Creamery franchise
Cold Stone Creamery makes ice cream in-store and mixes in toppings to order on a frozen granite stone, and also sells ice cream cakes, shakes and smoothies. It is part of the MTY group of restaurant brands. At the end of 2025 there were 1,054 Cold Stone Creamery locations in the US, 1,052 franchised and 2 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $391K–$681K
- Franchise fee
- $27,000
- Royalty
- 6%
- Locations, 2025
- 1,054+144 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- Franchisor based in
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Territory
- No exclusive territory
- Financing
- None offered
From Kahala Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing.
How much a Cold Stone Creamery franchise costs
Opening a traditional Cold Stone Creamery, excluding real estate costs an estimated $390,675 to $680,775. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
| Non-traditional location | $255,700 to $533,275 |
|---|
Source: Kahala Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 42
Cold Stone Creamery franchise fee
The franchise fee is $27,000, for a first traditional store ($15,000 for later ones, $10,000 to $20,000 for non-traditional). You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Kahala Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 31
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales plus a surcharge of up to $10 a week, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 3% of weekly gross sales: 2% to the national fund and 1% to the regional fund. |
Source: Kahala Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 34
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Cold Stone Creamery publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: it gives average and median gross sales for U.S. franchised stores open the full measurement year. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Kahala Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 84
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 952 (+44) | 1 | 8 |
| 2024 | 992 (+40) | 2 | 12 |
| 2025 | 1,052 (+60) | 2 | 3 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
Source: Kahala Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 86
How Cold Stone Creamery compares
Of the 12 ice cream franchises on this site, Cold Stone Creamery is the 7th cheapest to open and the 2nd largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Cold Stone Creamery | Typical ice cream |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $391K | $359K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% |
| Closed or left per year | 0.8% | 2.8% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +15.9% | +8.6% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 11 of 12 |
Typical is the median across the 12 brands in ice cream franchises.
Other ice cream franchises
Cold Stone Creamery franchise questions
Does Cold Stone Creamery help with financing?
No. Cold Stone Creamery does not offer financing or guarantee loans or leases, so buyers arrange their own, usually a bank or SBA loan.
Do Cold Stone Creamery franchisees get a protected territory?
No. Cold Stone Creamery grants the right to run one location but no exclusive area, so another Cold Stone Creamery can open nearby.
Is Cold Stone Creamery growing or shrinking?
Over the last 3 years 164 franchised locations opened and 23 closed or left, a net change of +15.9%. About 0.8% of locations closed or left each year. That is below the 2.8% typical for ice cream franchises.
How does Cold Stone Creamery compare with other ice cream franchises?
Of the 12 ice cream franchises here, Cold Stone Creamery is the 7th cheapest to open (low end $391K against a $359K median) and the 2nd largest by number of locations. Its 6% royalty is in line with the 6% median.
Does Cold Stone Creamery say how much franchisees make?
Yes: it gives average and median gross sales for U.S. franchised stores open the full measurement year. Your results can differ; the filing explains which locations are counted.
Where is Cold Stone Creamery based?
Kahala Franchising, LLC is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.