I Scream Gelato franchise
2024 filing · February 29, 2024GrowingShares sales figures
I Scream Gelato at a glance
A fast casual dessert shop serving handmade Italian gelato and desserts. At the end of 2023 there were 5 I Scream Gelato locations in the US, 1 franchised and 4 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- ISG Franchise, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $224K–$452K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 1% to the marketing fund
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid monthly
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 1
- Company-owned
- 4
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 3
- Most in Colorado, Florida and Ohio
From ISG Franchise, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
I Scream Gelato among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | I Scream Gelato | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $337,859 | Costs less than 52% 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 | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a I Scream Gelato franchise costs
Opening one I Scream Gelato costs an estimated $223,917 to $451,800. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 17
I Scream Gelato franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 1% to the marketing fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid monthly. |
| Transfer fee | $10,000 plus any broker fees and other out-of-pocket costs we incur |
| Replacement/Additional Training fee | Currently, $350 per day |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 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 I Scream Gelato publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 40
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $320K–$570K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to I Scream Gelato franchisees
Lenders approved 3 SBA 7(a) loans for I Scream Gelato franchisees from 2023 to 2026, $666K in all. None has been paid off or charged off 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
How I Scream Gelato compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, I Scream Gelato is the 30th cheapest to open and the 70th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | I Scream Gelato | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $224K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $452K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 5 | 18 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 (+1) | 4 | +1 | 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: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 43
Where I Scream Gelato locations are
At the end of 2023, I Scream Gelato had locations in 3 states. The most are in Colorado, Florida and Ohio.
- Colorado3
- Florida1
- Ohio1
Source: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 44
Who owns I Scream Gelato?
I Scream Gelato franchises are sold by ISG Franchise, LLC.
From ISG Franchise, LLC’s 2024 filing.
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: ISG Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
I Scream Gelato filings
The figures on this page come from ISG Franchise, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued February 29, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | February 29, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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