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Brand Dossier

Cold Stone Creamery

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Rank #90 on Entrepreneur 2026Dessert/FrozenFDD issued March 27, 2026
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: Item 19 Covered Period: December 1, 2024 - November 30, 2025.
About the Brand

About Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery franchises single traditional or non-traditional restaurants specializing in super-premium fresh made ice cream, cakes, pies, smoothies, shakes, specialty beverages, soft drinks, and other frozen dessert products prepared using proprietary recipes, served with an assortment of complementary toppings and mix-ins on a take-out, delivery, or eat-in basis. Traditional Cold Stone Creamery restaurants are easily accessible locations such as free-standing buildings, inline retail shops, shopping malls, or street fronts offering the full menu, while non-traditional restaurants operate in venues like airports, amusement parks, hospitals, or college campuses with a limited menu. Cold Stone Creamery restaurants serve the general public of all ages, and select locations also sell Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory products alongside the core ice cream offering.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$390,675 to $680,775
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$27,000
Development fee: No separate multi-unit development fee disclosed in Item 5. Grand Opening Marketing $10,000 (traditional) / $5,000 (non-traditional) is a separate pre-opening fee; optional lease guarantee fee (10% of guaranteed rent, max $10,000) and lease review fee ($0-$2,500).
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
9%
~9% of Gross Sales (6% royalty + 3% advertising) plus a maximum $10/week Royalty Surcharge, all withdrawn weekly....
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Pro exclusive
The disclosed sales or revenue metric, sample, range, and read are included in Pro.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 2 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $27,000 (Item 5, p.31). FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee No separate multi-unit development fee disclosed in Item 5. Grand Opening Marketing $10,000 (traditional) / $5,000 (non-traditional) is a separate pre-opening fee; optional lease guarantee fee (10% of guaranteed rent, max $10,000) and lease review fee ($0-$2,500). FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee Royalty Fee 6% of Gross Sales plus a maximum Surcharge of $10 per week; withdrawn electronically weekly. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $390,675 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $680,775 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Pro FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 1052 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 2 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +101 total outlets over the reported window (953 end-2023 to 1054 end-2025); net change +41, +41, +60 in 2023/2024/2025. FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
In Line
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Item 6 discloses a royalty plus a smaller advertising contribution and a nominal weekly surcharge, a conventional ongoing fee load for a dessert QSR, all withdrawn weekly from the franchisee's account.

Unit Economics
Strength
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Item 19 gives a clean, offered-brand disclosure with both average and median gross sales, the number of stores measured, and the share meeting or exceeding each, covering the large majority of open U.S. franchised stores, but the figures are gross sales, not profit.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

FDD Item 3 discloses 2 actions. Case names, allegations, procedural posture, and source quotes are locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Strength
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Item 20 shows a growing U.S. system with net positive unit change in each of the last three years, only a handful of cessations in the latest year, and a very large backlog of signed-but-unopened agreements.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

Item 17 sets a ten-year initial term with a single five-year renewal (further continuation only via a discretionary successor term), a right of first refusal, a transfer fee, and a two-year post-term non-compete near other brand locations.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Item 19 earnings data is disclosed for Cold Stone Creamery. The unit sales or revenue metric itself remains locked in Pro; the caution below stays free.

What the Claim Discloses
Disclosed Sales or Revenue Metric
Pro
Median Unit Metric
Pro
Sample Size & Coverage
Pro
High / Low Range
Pro
Percent Meeting or Beating the Average
Pro
What the Disclosure Excludes
Pro
What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Read Locked
Pro turns the disclosed fields into a read: whether the average is trustworthy, what the disclosure leaves out, and the year-one revenue number Zorzee would underwrite.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
1054
Latest sourced FDD year
Franchised
1052
FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
2
FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+60
Latest total-system change
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
953
2023
994
2024
1,054
2025

Cold Stone Creamery trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

2 actions disclosed in FDD Item 3. Case-level detail remains locked in Pro.

Case 01
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 02
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Cold Stone Creamery: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Cold Stone Creamery costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
Your Pro Membership
  • The Zorzee Report Pro every Tuesday, one franchise decoded each week
  • The full Signal Tracker across the portal
  • The Zorzee Files: FDD guides, DCF templates, and pro forma models
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