BRUSTER'S

BRUSTER'S

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream franchises operate retail ice cream stores offering premium ice cream, sherbet, Italian ices, frozen yogurt, frozen desserts, beverages, food products, and related retail items, all made fresh on-site daily. The business model centers on franchising freestanding or end-cap locations (1,400-1,600 sq ft) that provide on-premises dining, carry-out, and approved third-party delivery services using a standardized system of recipes, operations, and Proprietary Marks. They target consumers seeking high-quality, fresh frozen treats in a modern environment, including families and dessert enthusiasts in local communities.

205
Locations
$409K–$1118K
Investment
Since 1993
Franchising
Food & BeverageBridgewater, PAwww.Bruster’s.comDisclaimer

Franchise Costs


Franchise Fee
$40,000
Item 5 of FDD
Initial Investment Range
$409,033 $1,118,100
Low: $409,033High: $1,118,100
Item 7 of FDD
Royalty Rate
5.00%
of gross sales
Brand Fund
3.00%
Item 6 of FDD

5% royalty + 3% marketing fund

Financial Performance


Item 19 Financial Performance

Average Gross Revenue
$0
Median Gross Revenue
$0
Top Quartile Revenue
$0
Bottom Quartile Revenue
$0

Data Based On: 172 franchised outlets open and operating a standard 7-day schedule for Calendar Year 2024, as presented in Table 1.

* Average gross revenue is taken from the 'Overall 2024' AUV for franchised stores as explicitly stated in Table 1. A weighted average of the AUVs for the Top-Range (57 units x $1,085,370), Mid-Range (58 units x $689,096), and Bottom-Range (57 units x $461,571) over 172 units results in $745,018.63, which closely matches the reported overall AUV. Median gross revenue is directly from the 'Overall 2024' Median. Revenue top quartile is based on the 'AUV Top-Range' AUV, and revenue bottom quartile is based on the 'AUV Bottom-Range' AUV for 2024. Although Cost of Goods Sold (COG) percentages are provided in Table 4, no other comprehensive expense percentages or profit margin figures are available to reliably estimate a profit range for 'best_guess_profit_low' and 'best_guess_profit_high', as the document notes 'additional business expenses that are likely to be significant' which are not quantified.

Extracted Item 19 Section

How BRUSTER'S Compares


Key Insights

  • Top 10 largest franchise system in Desserts & Ice Cream
  • Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Desserts & Ice Cream
FranchiseInvestmentFeeRoyaltyLocations
BRUSTER'S
Current
$409K – $1.1M$40K5.0%205
RITA'S FRANCHISE COMPANY, LLC; RITA'S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS$315K – $713K$35K6.5%569
MENCHIE'S$165K – $425K$40K6.0%296
DIPPIN' DOTS$139K – $399K$35K6.0%260
MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY$355K – $477K$25K6.0%249
HAAGEN DAZS SHOP$215K – $568K$30K4.0%207
Desserts & Ice Cream Average
28 franchises
$327K – $657K$36K7.0%

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 28 Desserts & Ice Cream franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth


Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2024)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States
1GA
50
2VA
20
3PA
20
4FL
18
5SC
15
6CA
15
7MD
11
8NC
9
9TX
7
10TN
7
11AL
6
12AZ
4
13NY
4
14OH
4
15KY
3

+8 more states

SBA Loan History


Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for BRUSTER'S franchisees (20102025)

Total Loans
109
Average Loan
$589,869
Total Volume
$64.3M
Default Rate
3.7%

Loans by Year

SBA 7(a) loan activity over time

* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.

Franchisee Contacts


206 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

NameSBA Loan
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active

206 Contacts Available

Unlock all BRUSTER'S franchisee contacts with verified contact information

Due Diligence


Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee Cases0
No litigation involving franchisees reported

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryNo
No bankruptcy history reported

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations
0
Non-Renewals
0
Reacquired
0
Ceased Ops
5
Transfers
13
Sold to Franchisees
0
Projected New
4

Frequently Asked Questions


The total initial investment to open a BRUSTER'S franchise ranges from $409,033 to $1,118,100. This includes a franchise fee of $40,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.

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