Overall costs for Kona Ice run anywhere from $145,600 to $164,100. See how the costs break down and what funding options might be right for your new venture into the franchise foray.
How COVID-19 affects franchising costs
Strict sanitation and employee protection measures during the coronavirus outbreak add to the typical costs you face when opening a new franchise. Paired with the unusually heavy amount of promotions that may be required by the franchise, you may not see as much in the way of profits starting out. For more information on what support is out there, read our guide to
loans for businesses affected by the coronavirus.
Estimated initial costs
Our cost estimates are accurate as of 2019 from
https://www.franchisedirect.com and include opening fees and expenses only. Your location may result in higher or lower fees.
Franchise fees
Kona Ice franchise fees total around $15,000, which beats out the $37,000 average for the 200 largest franchises nationwide.
| Initial franchise fee |
$15,000 to $15,000 |
| Royalty |
$3,000 for years one and two, $3,500 for years three through six, $4,000 for years seven through ten. |
| Estimated total |
$15,000 to $15,000 |
Equipment fees
Equipment fees total $120,450 for Kona Ice. This is less than the $180,023 average for the top 200 franchises.
| Truck and installed equipment |
$119,850 to $119,850 |
| Computer system and hardware |
$200 to $1,000 |
| Estimated total |
$120,050 to $120,850 |
Real estate fees
Real estate will set you back $600 for Kona Ice, thought it's less than the average of $788,376 for the top 200 franchises.
| Real estate or truck storage |
$0 to $1,200 |
| Estimated total |
$0 to $1,200 |
Training fees
Kona Ice initial training costs total $850, which comes in under the nationwide average of $9,788.
| Training expenses |
$850 to $850 |
| Estimated total |
$850 to $850 |
Inventory costs
Initial inventory for Kona Ice shakes out to $5,750. This is less than the nationwide average of $53,119.
| Initial inventory |
$5,500 to $5,500 |
| Optional inventory |
$0 to $500 |
| Estimated total |
$5,500 to $6,000 |
Licenses and permits costs
Kona Ice initial licenses and permits will set you back $4,875. This comes out to less than $18,770 — the overall nationwide average.
| Tax, title and licensing of truck |
$2,000 to $6,000 |
| Permits and licenses |
$250 to $1,500 |
| Estimated total |
$2,250 to $7,500 |
Insurance costs
Initial insurance costs for Kona Ice run $825. This means you'll be paying less than the overall nationwide average of $6,311.
| Three months' KEV insurance |
$450 to $1,200 |
| Estimated total |
$450 to $1,200 |
Administrative fees
Kona Ice administrative fees total up to $1,750 — which comes in under the overall nationwide average of $6,761.
| KEV delivery |
$500 to $3,000 |
| Audit |
Cost of audit and any related accounting and legal expenses and related travel and administrative expenses (the franchisor estimates this cost to be between $1,000 and $10,000). |
| Estimated total |
$500 to $3,000 |
Other expenses
Miscellaneous expenses for Kona Ice total $4,750 — less than the nationwide average of $69,970.
| Three months' additional funds |
$1,000 to $8,500 |
| Estimated total |
$1,000 to $8,500 |
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 2019.
How to finance
The best way to finance Kona Ice comes down to your personal financial situation. What assets you have available will largely determine how much you need to borrow, and which option suits you best. Potential solutions include:
- Bank loan. Your personal credit plays a large role in getting a business term loan from a bank. Typically this type of funding is for larger amounts.
- Online loan. Credit requirements may be more flexible for an online loan than a bank loan, but amounts may max out at a lower amount — typically around $1 million.
- SBA loan. The good part about SBA loans is that they top out at $5 million, but your business has to meet a number of requirements.
- Credit card. Small costs that aren't fixed, such as stray inventory and supply purchases, may be better off on a business credit card. Just make sure you can pay it off quickly to avoid high APRs.
Also check if Kona Ice 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
How Kona Ice stacks up
Compare how Kona Ice holds up against two similarly sized franchises.
| Average Franchise fees |
$17,500 |
$15,000 |
$17,500 |
| Average Equipment fees |
$83,100 |
$120,450 |
$88,688 |
| Average Real estate fees |
$116,500 |
$600 |
$226,300 |
| Average Training fees |
$5,425 |
$850 |
NA |
| Average Inventory fees |
$4,500 |
$5,750 |
$12,369 |
| Average Marketing fees |
$7,500 |
NA |
$14,000 |
| Average Licenses and permits fees |
$1,750 |
$4,875 |
$6,390 |
| Average Insurance fees |
$1,500 |
$825 |
$4,000 |
| Average Admin fees |
$1,350 |
$1,750 |
$11,600 |
| Average Personnel fees |
$500 |
NA |
NA |
| Average Other fees |
$22,463 |
$4,750 |
$43,100 |
Bottom line
Kona Ice franchise costs run a total of $154,850. 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.
