Carousel's franchise
2023 filing · November 16, 2023Growing
Carousel's at a glance
A food truck serving creamy frozen ices, other treats and drinks. At the end of 2022 there were 9 Carousel's locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Bradenton, Florida
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $76K–$100K
- With the truck financed
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- The greater of 7% of gross sales or $125 a week, paid weekly, plus up to 2% to the brand development fund
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 2% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- $3,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 9
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 9
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +9
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
From Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Carousel's among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Carousel's | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $87,750 | Costs less than 90% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 9 | Fewer than 63% of franchises |
How much a Carousel's franchise costs
Opening with the truck financed costs an estimated $75,750 to $99,750. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($35,000) and additional funds – initial period of three months ($12,000 to $17,500). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Food Truck – Initial Three Months of Financing Payments | $9,000 | $12,000 | |
| Vehicle Parking and Storage (Commissary) | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System | $1,000 | $4,000 | |
| Initial General Inventory | $5,000 | $7,500 | |
| Utility Deposits | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Initial Product Inventory | $5,000 | $7,500 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Travel and Lodging for Initial Training | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing Expense | $2,500 | ||
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Printing, Stationary and Office Supplies | $750 | ||
| Additional Funds – Initial Period of Three Months | $12,000 | $17,500 | |
| Total | $75,750 | $99,750 | |
Source: Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 17
Carousel's franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 7% of gross sales or $125 a week, paid weekly, plus up to 2% to the brand development fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 2% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
| Technology | Up to $500 per month per Food Truck, not currently assessed |
| Renewal | $3,000 |
| Additional Employee Initial Training | Our then current training fee, currently $300 per person per day |
| Franchisee Directed Local Marketing | Up to 5% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Carousel's does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 47
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $100K–$190K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Carousel's compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, Carousel's is the 2nd cheapest to open and the 63rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Carousel's | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $76K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $100K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 9 | 18 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 3.2% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 76 of 101 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 101 brands in ice cream franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 (+1) | 2 | +1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 (+5) | 2 | +5 | 0 |
| 2022 | 9 (+3) | 0 | +3 | 0 |
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: Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 48
Who owns Carousel's?
Carousel's franchises are sold by Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC. It is a subsidiary of Carousel’s, LLC.
From Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC’s 2023 filing, page 8.
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: Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Carousel's filings
The figures on this page come from Carousel's Franchise Group, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued November 16, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | November 16, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other ice cream franchises
All ice cream franchises
Carousel's is also on these lists: mobile franchises, food franchises.