CARVEL
Carvel franchises retail ice cream shoppes that sell soft serve ice cream, hand-dipped ice cream, novelties, and ice cream cakes through various formats including full shoppes, express shoppes, hosted express shoppes, ice cream trucks, and co-branded locations with Cinnabon. The business model involves franchising these outlets to operators who sell Carvel-branded frozen desserts and treats. The target market is consumers seeking indulgent ice cream products, families, and dessert enthusiasts.
Franchise Costs
6% royalty + 3% ad fund + $250/mo point-of-purchase materials + POS license/lease $159-$442/mo + POS support $70-$250/mo + loyalty app $51/mo + online ordering $54/mo + gift card processing $4.50/mo
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 104 Eligible Streetside Franchises that reported sales through the designated POS System in all 52 weeks of Fiscal Year 2024 (fiscal year ended December 29, 2024).
* Average gross revenue ($484,054) and median gross revenue ($480,774) were taken directly from the 'Total' row of Table 1 ('AVERAGE NET SALES BY QUARTILES'), representing the overall average and median Net Sales for 104 Eligible Streetside Franchises. Revenue for the top quartile ($785,454) and bottom quartile ($189,436) are the 'Average Net Sales' from their respective rows in Table 1. As confirmed by a weighted average calculation ( (785454*26 + 543719*26 + 417607*26 + 189436*26) / 104 = 484054.0 ), the total average is accurate. Net income, net profit, and EBITDA figures are not provided, as explicitly stated in Note 3 to Item 19: 'These sales figures do not reflect the costs of sales, operating expenses or other costs or expenses that must be deducted from the Net Sales figures to obtain your net income or profit.'
Extracted Item 19 Section
How CARVEL Compares
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CARVEL Current | N/A | $31K | 6.0% | 336 |
| RITA'S FRANCHISE COMPANY, LLC; RITA'S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS | $315K – $713K | $35K | 6.5% | 569 |
| MENCHIE'S | $165K – $425K | $40K | 6.0% | 296 |
| DIPPIN' DOTS | $139K – $399K | $35K | 6.0% | 260 |
| MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY | $355K – $477K | $25K | 6.0% | 249 |
| HAAGEN DAZS SHOP | $215K – $568K | $30K | 4.0% | 207 |
Desserts & Ice Cream Average 28 franchises | $327K – $657K | $36K | 7.0% | – |
* 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
+15 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for CARVEL franchisees (2010 – 2025)
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
337 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA 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 |
337 Contacts Available
Unlock all CARVEL franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the 2025 FDD, the average gross revenue for a CARVEL franchise is $484,054. The median revenue is $480,774.
Unlock Full FDD Access
Download CARVEL's complete FDD plus 1,700+ other franchise documents — all with one plan.
Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel anytime
Also includes FDDs for
More Food & Beverage Franchises
Subway
Food & Beverage
MCDONALD'S
Food & Beverage
DUNKIN'
Food & Beverage
DOMINO'S PIZZA
Food & Beverage
Burger King
Food & Beverage
POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN
Food & Beverage
