Cold Stone Creamery franchise financing options

Overall costs for Cold Stone Creamery run anywhere from $50,200 to $473,975. See how the costs break down and what funding options might be right for your new venture into the franchise foray.

Estimated initial costs

Our cost estimates are accurate as of 2022 from Franchise Direct and include opening fees and expenses only. The location you choose for your Cold Stone Creamery franchise may result in higher or lower fees.

Franchise fees

Cold Stone Creamery franchise fees total around $17,500, which beats out the $37,000 average for the 200 largest franchises nationwide.

Franchise	Cost
Initial franchise fee	$8,000 to $27,000
Estimated total	$8,000 to $27,000

Equipment fees

Equipment fees total $83,100 for Cold Stone Creamery. This is less than the $180,023 average for the top 200 franchises.

Equipment	Cost
Exterior signage	$1,500 to $12,000
Equipment	$8,000 to $144,700
Estimated total	$9,500 to $156,700

Real estate fees

Real estate will set you back $116,500 for Cold Stone Creamery, thought it's less than the average of $788,376 for the top 200 franchises.

Real estate	Cost
First three months' rent and security deposit	$0 to $19,500
Real estate	Varies to
Lease review fee	$0 to $2,500
Architectural fees	$1,000 to $15,000
Leasehold improvements	$0 to $195,000
Estimated total	$1,000 to $232,000

Training fees

Cold Stone Creamery initial training costs total $5,425, which comes in under the nationwide average of $9,788.

Training	Cost
Travel and living expenses for two people while training, not including salaries	$3,000 to $7,500
Computer training and food safety certification course	$100 to $250
Estimated total	$3,100 to $7,750

Inventory costs

Initial inventory for Cold Stone Creamery shakes out to $4,500. This is less than the nationwide average of $53,119.

Inventory	Cost
Opening inventory	$1,000 to $8,000
Estimated total	$1,000 to $8,000

Marketing costs

Advertisement and marketing costs total up to $7,500 for Cold Stone Creamery, beating out the nationwide average of $9,938.

Marketing	Cost
Grand opening marketing and advertising	$5,000 to $10,000
Estimated total	$5,000 to $10,000

Licenses and permits costs

Cold Stone Creamery initial licenses and permits will set you back $1,750. This comes out to less than $18,770 — the overall nationwide average.

Licenses and permits	Cost
Permits and licenses	$500 to $3,000
Estimated total	$500 to $3,000

Insurance costs

Initial insurance costs for Cold Stone Creamery run $1,500. This means you'll be paying less than the overall nationwide average of $6,311.

Insurance	Cost
Insurance premiums	$500 to $2,500
Estimated total	$500 to $2,500

Administrative fees

Cold Stone Creamery administrative fees total up to $1,350 — which comes in under the overall nationwide average of $6,761.

Admin	Cost
PCI compliance costs	$150 to $1,300
Telephone and utility deposits and hookups	$250 to $1,000
Depository account	$3,000 (Must be replenished on a regular basis.)
Audit	Cost of audit plus interest at Default Rate on underpayments or the maximum rate permissible by law.
Estimated total	$400 to $2,300

Personnel costs

Uniforms, name tags and the like make up personnel costs, and for Cold Stone Creamery it will run you $500. The nationwide average cost of personnel fees comes in at $22,818, which means you'll be paying less to outfit your employees.

Personnel	Cost
Employee uniforms	$200 to $800
Estimated total	$200 to $800

Other expenses

Miscellaneous expenses for Cold Stone Creamery total $22,463 — less than the nationwide average of $69,970.

Other	Cost
Miscellaneous	$1,000 to $3,925
Three months' additional funds	$20,000 to $20,000
Estimated total	$21,000 to $23,925

All costs were found using the 200 largest franchises nationwide using Franchise Direct's list of more than 300 franchises, and are accurate as of 2022.

How to finance

Since the estimated total for Cold Stone Creamery is on the more costly side, we recommend following these steps to get fully financed:

1. Go to the Cold Stone Creamery franchising website and review its financial requirements, including cash-on-hand requirements.
2. Reach out to Cold Stone Creamery about in-house financing for franchisees.
3. If in-house financing isn't available, look for online loans, bank loans and SBA loans to help meet the $262,088 estimated opening costs.
4. Compare lenders based on amounts, interest rates and what types of personal and business credit history they accept.
5. Once you settle on a lender, gather all required documents, including account statements and assets.
6. Apply for financing online or in person as required by the lender.

What types of financing is available?

You have several options when it comes to financing a Cold Stone Creamery — even if the cost is on the heavier side. What assets you have available will largely determine how much you need to borrow, and which option suits you best.

• Online loan. A number of online business lenders offer amounts up to $1 million, with some extending up to $5 million.
• Bank loan. Your personal credit will typically need to at least be good — 670 or higher — when it comes to getting a bank loan large enough to cover a significant portion of Cold Stone Creamery opening costs.
• SBA loan. While your personal credit score doesn't need to be as good to qualify for an SBA loan, they usually cost more than standard term loans from banks or online lenders.

Also check if Cold Stone Creamery franchise financing is available. You may be able to get some of the costs covered for less than you would with other traditional funding options.

Compare small business lenders

You may not need financing to cover the estimated $50,200. But if you need funds for other business ventures, select the loan amount, your time in business and revenue and your personal credit score to compare a selection of lenders.

How Cold Stone Creamery stacks up

Compare how Cold Stone Creamery holds up against two similarly sized franchises.

	Budget Blinds	Cold Stone Creamery	Kona Ice
Average Franchise fees	$119,950	$17,500	$15,000
Average Equipment fees	$31,755	$83,100	$120,450
Average Real estate fees	NA	$116,500	$600
Average Training fees	$1,375	$5,425	$850
Average Inventory fees	NA	$4,500	$5,750
Average Marketing fees	NA	$7,500	NA
Average Licenses and permits fees	$750	$1,750	$4,875
Average Insurance fees	$2,900	$1,500	$825
Average Admin fees	NA	$1,350	$1,750
Average Personnel fees	NA	$500	NA
Average Other fees	$33,125	$22,463	$4,750

Bottom line

Cold Stone Creamery franchise costs run a total of $262,088. Before you decide to become a franchisee, compare the total costs against industry averages. And to learn more about financing read our guide to franchise financing.