How much is a Cold Stone Creamery franchise? $310,375 – $602,775 to open, per its disclosure filings
$310,375 – $602,775
Opening a Cold Stone Creamery franchise takes $310,375 – $602,775 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $27,500 – $59,500. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 3%. To qualify, Cold Stone Creamery asks for $100,000 in liquid cash and a $250,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Cold Stone Creamery cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $27,500 | $59,500 | $27,500 to $59,500 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $310,375 | $602,775 | $310,375 to $602,775 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $310,375 | $602,775 | $310,375 to $602,775 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 3% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $310,375 – $602,775 range is derived from Cold Stone Creamery's filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 6% on sales, the ad-fund contribution of up to 3%, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Cold Stone Creamery's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Cold Stone Creamery's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $310,375 — about in line with the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $27,500 — about 21% below the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Cold Stone Creamery or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Cold Stone Creamery for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Cold Stone Creamery franchise fee?
$27,500 – $59,500, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Cold Stone Creamery charge?
A royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 3%, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
How much money do you need to qualify for a Cold Stone Creamery franchise?
Cold Stone Creamery's filings ask for $100,000 in liquid cash and a $250,000 minimum net worth (as of 2026-05). Capital figures are the franchisor's stated minimums, not our advice.