16 Handles franchise
2026 filing · March 25, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
16 Handles at a glance
A self-serve frozen yogurt shop with a wall of flavors and a toppings bar. At the end of 2025 there were 37 16 Handles locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- 16 Handles Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2011
- 15 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- New York, New York
- Typical size
- About 1,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $250K–$664K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- $25,000 for a second store bought at the same time
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid twice a month
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 37
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 37
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +8
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 6
- Most in New York, New Jersey and Texas
Support and records
From 16 Handles Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 193; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
16 Handles among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | 16 Handles | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $456,500 | Costs more than 60% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 37 | More than 59% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $847,587 | Higher than 54% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.9× | Higher than 59% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a 16 Handles franchise costs
Opening one 16 Handles costs an estimated $249,500 to $663,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are furniture, fixtures and equipment (including soft serve machines) ($110,000 to $300,000) and leasehold improvements ($60,000 to $200,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Rent and Security Deposit | $5,000 | $30,000 | |
| Utility and Other Deposits | $0 | $3,000 | |
| Architect and Design Fees | $7,500 | $17,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $60,000 | $200,000 | |
| Exterior Signage | $5,000 | $12,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (Including Soft Serve Machines) | $110,000 | $300,000 | |
| Smallwares | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| POS System; License Fees | $1,000 | $1,500 | |
| Back-Office Computer, Office Equipment and Supplies | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Business Licenses & Permits | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Initial Inventory of Food and Paper Supplies | $8,000 | $15,000 | |
| Insurance (Initial 3 Months) | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Training Expenses (Travel and Accommodation) | $500 | $3,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $10,000 | ||
| Additional Funds (for initial period of operations) | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Total | $249,500 | $663,500 | |
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
16 Handles franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000, $25,000 for a second store bought at the same time. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid twice a month. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | Currently $95 per month. |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| Initial Training Fee – Additional or Replacement Personnel | $150 per person per hour, plus expenses |
| Local Marketing | $10,000 yearly unless otherwise approved by us |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures 16 Handles publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $847,587
- Median sales
- $779,233
Yearly figures for 2025, covering standard franchised stores open at least two years at the end of 2025 (23 locations). The average is about 1.9 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 50–51
SBA loans to 16 Handles franchisees
Lenders approved 16 SBA 7(a) loans for 16 Handles franchisees from 2013 to 2026, $7.76M in all. All 8 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other 8 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | 16 Handles | Typical frozen yogurt brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +19% / +28% | 0% / −8.1% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 6.5% / 17% | 4.9% / 17% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical frozen yogurt brand is the median of the 5 brands in frozen yogurt franchises with three years of counts.
How 16 Handles compares
Of the 13 frozen yogurt franchises on this site, 16 Handles is the 4th cheapest to open and the 8th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | 16 Handles | Typical frozen yogurt brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $250K | $292K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $664K | $684K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $30K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $848K | $639K | $794K |
| US locations | 37 | 61 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 9 of 13 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 13 brands in frozen yogurt franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 29 (0) | 0 | +1 | −1 |
| 2024 | 31 (+2) | 0 | +4 | −2 |
| 2025 | 37 (+6) | 0 | +8 | −2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: ice cream franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 54
Where 16 Handles locations are
At the end of 2025, 16 Handles had franchised locations in 6 states. The most are in New York, New Jersey and Texas.
- New York19
- New Jersey7
- Texas4
- Florida3
- Oregon2
- South Carolina2
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| New York | 19 |
| New Jersey | 7 |
| Texas | 4 |
| Florida | 3 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| South Carolina | 2 |
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 54
Who owns 16 Handles?
16 Handles franchises are sold by 16 Handles Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From 16 Handles Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 6.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: 16 Handles Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
16 Handles filings
The figures on this page come from 16 Handles Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued March 25, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 25, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other frozen yogurt franchises
All frozen yogurt franchises
16 Handles is also on these lists: ice cream franchises, food franchises.