Mister Softee franchise
2026 filing · April 30, 2026Growing
Mister Softee at a glance
A soft-serve ice cream truck business selling from a specially built truck in a set territory. At the end of 2025 there were 617 Mister Softee locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $297K–$385K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $7,500
- Plus the truck and equipment, bought from the franchisor's affiliate
- Royalty
- $4,045 a year
- A flat royalty of $4,045 a year, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- $500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 617
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 617
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 2 years
- +26
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 19
- Most in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Support and records
From Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 63; 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
Mister Softee among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Mister Softee | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $341,000 | Costs less than 52% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $7,500 | Lower than 97% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 617 | More than 95% of franchises |
How much a Mister Softee franchise costs
Opening one Mister Softee costs an estimated $297,000 to $385,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are truck and equipment ($235,000 to $285,000) and estimated sales tax for truck registration ($14,000 to $28,500). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $7,500 | ||
| Truck and Equipment | $235,000 | $285,000 | |
| Estimated Sales Tax for Truck Registration | $14,000 | $28,500 | |
| Shipping of Truck | $4,000 | $10,000 | |
| Parking | $9,000 | $14,000 | |
| Inventory | $6,000 | $9,000 | |
| Licenses and Professional Services | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Prepaid Insurance Premium | $2,000 | $3,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $1,500 | $2,500 | |
| Miscellaneous Items | $1,500 | $2,500 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Total | $297,000 | $385,000 | |
Source: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, page 10
Mister Softee franchise fee
The franchise fee is $7,500, plus the truck and equipment, bought from the franchisor's affiliate. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | A flat royalty of $4,045 a year, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | $1,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from page 9. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Mister Softee 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: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, page 26
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $250K–$440K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Mister Softee franchisees
Lenders approved 9 SBA-backed loans for Mister Softee franchisees from 2004 to 2025, $5.35M in all: 7 7(a) loans and 2 504 loans. Of the 6 that have ended, 5 were paid in full and 1 was charged off. The other 3 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
How Mister Softee compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, Mister Softee is the 55th cheapest to open and the 7th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Mister Softee | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $297K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $385K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $8K | $35K | $40K |
| US locations | 617 | 18 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 1.9% | 3.2% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | +4.4% | +12.5% | – |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 594 (+3) | 0 | +23 | −20 |
| 2024 | 601 (+7) | 0 | – | – |
| 2025 | 617 (+16) | 0 | +18 | −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, home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, page 26
Where Mister Softee locations are
At the end of 2025, Mister Softee had franchised locations in 19 states. The most are in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- New York370
- New Jersey85
- Pennsylvania83
- California20
- Florida12
- Virginia11
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| New York | 370 |
| New Jersey | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 83 |
| California | 20 |
| Florida | 12 |
| Virginia | 11 |
| Maryland | 7 |
| Connecticut | 5 |
| Delaware | 5 |
| Texas | 5 |
All 19 states
| South Carolina | 4 |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 |
| Ohio | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Source: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, page 27
Who owns Mister Softee?
Mister Softee franchises are sold by Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C.
From Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C’s 2026 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: Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Mister Softee filings
The figures on this page come from Mister Softee Franchise, L.L.C’s 2026 filing, issued April 30, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 30, 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 ice cream franchises
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Mister Softee is also on these lists: mobile franchises, food franchises.