Pitango Gelato franchise
2022 filing · March 23, 2022Shares sales figures
Pitango Gelato at a glance
A gelato and coffee shop offering gelato, sorbet, espresso drinks and hot chocolate. At the end of 2021 there were 5 Pitango Gelato locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Baltimore, Maryland
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $346K–$543K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of aggregate sales, paid weekly, plus a technology fee of $50 a month
- Brand fund
- 1.5%
- 1.5% of aggregate sales, paid weekly
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 5
- States
- 2
- Most in Maryland and Virginia
From Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Pitango Gelato among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Pitango Gelato | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $444,150 | Costs more than 59% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a Pitango Gelato franchise costs
Opening one Pitango Gelato costs an estimated $345,500 to $542,800. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($80,000 to $170,000) and kitchen equipment ($104,000 to $130,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements | $80,000 | $170,000 | |
| Lease Payments and other rental expenses | $6,000 | $18,000 | |
| Kitchen Equipment | $104,000 | $130,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Furnishings | $45,500 | $62,600 | |
| Signage | $8,500 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $24,000 | $28,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $8,500 | $20,500 | |
| POS and Computer Equipment | $1,400 | $2,200 | |
| Travel, lodging and meals for training | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Business licenses, permits, etc. (for first year) | $600 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance deposits and premiums | $4,000 | $8,500 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Utilities – deposits and connection fees | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $30,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $345,500 | $542,800 | |
Source: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, page 17
Pitango Gelato franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of aggregate sales, paid weekly, plus a technology fee of $50 a month. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1.5% of aggregate sales, paid weekly. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, page 11
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Pitango Gelato publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, page 41
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $450K–$790K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Pitango Gelato franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Pitango Gelato franchisee in 2026, for $525K. It hasn’t 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 Pitango Gelato compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, Pitango Gelato is the 66th cheapest to open and the 71st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Pitango Gelato | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $346K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $543K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1.5% | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 5 |
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: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, page 44
Where Pitango Gelato locations are
At the end of 2021, Pitango Gelato had locations in 2 states. The most are in Maryland and Virginia.
- Maryland2
- Virginia1
Source: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, page 44
Who owns Pitango Gelato?
Pitango Gelato franchises are sold by Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC’s 2022 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: Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Pitango Gelato filings
The figures on this page come from Pitango Gelato Franchise Co., LLC’s 2022 filing, issued March 23, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | March 23, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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