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 2021 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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 2021.
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:
- Go to the Cold Stone Creamery franchising website and review its financial requirements, including cash-on-hand requirements.
- Reach out to Cold Stone Creamery about in-house financing for franchisees.
- 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.
- Compare lenders based on amounts, interest rates and what types of personal and business credit history they accept.
- Once you settle on a lender, gather all required documents, including account statements and assets.
- 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.
| 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.
