Popbar franchise
2022 filing · March 16, 2022Growing
Popbar at a glance
A dessert shop serving gelato and sorbetto bars on a stick, dipped and topped to order. At the end of 2021 there were 21 Popbar locations in the US, 20 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Pop Bar Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2010
- 12 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- New York, New York
- Typical size
- 500–1,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $217K–$458K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 2% of gross sales once the fund is set up
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 21
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 20
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- +2
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 8
- Most in California, Texas and North Carolina
Support and records
From Pop Bar Franchising LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Popbar among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Popbar | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $337,700 | Costs less than 52% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 21 | More than 50% of franchises |
How much a Popbar franchise costs
Opening one Popbar costs an estimated $217,000 to $458,400. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements, furniture ($60,000 to $120,000) and equipment ($70,000 to $100,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Rent – 3 Months | $9,000 | $30,000 | |
| Security Deposits | $6,000 | $30,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Furniture | $60,000 | $120,000 | |
| Equipment | $70,000 | $100,000 | |
| POS Computer System | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance – 3 Months | $1,500 | $4,500 | |
| Permits and Licenses | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Shipping Costs for Proprietary Product Mixes | $1,000 | $2,400 | |
| Signage, Facade | $3,000 | $20,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Layouts | $3,000 | $13,000 | |
| Layout Review Fee | $1,000 | $1,500 | |
| Travel Expenses for Training | $1,000 | $4,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds | $10,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $217,000 | $458,400 | |
Source: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, page 18
Popbar franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales once the fund is set up. |
| Software License Fee | Up to $165 to $300 per POS system, per month |
| Transfer Fee – Franchise Agreement | $35,000 |
| Local Advertising Requirement | 1% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 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
No figures Popbar 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: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, page 46
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $340K–$600K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Popbar franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for Popbar franchisees from 2018 to 2019, $438K in all. All 2 have ended: 1 was paid in full and 1 was charged off.
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, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Popbar | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +5.3% / +11% | +6.2% / +18% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 5.3% / 44% | 2.4% / 9.5% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical ice cream brand is the median of the 33 brands in ice cream franchises with three years of counts.
How Popbar compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, Popbar is the 26th cheapest to open and the 47th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Popbar | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $217K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $458K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 21 | 18 | 21 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 23 (+5) | 1 | +6 | −1 |
| 2020 | 19 (−4) | 1 | +2 | −6 |
| 2021 | 20 (+1) | 1 | +2 | −1 |
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: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, page 47
Where Popbar locations are
At the end of 2021, Popbar had locations in 8 states. The most are in California, Texas and North Carolina.
- California6
- Texas6
- North Carolina3
- Florida2
- Georgia1
- Louisiana1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Texas | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, page 48
Who owns Popbar?
Popbar franchises are sold by Pop Bar Franchising LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Pop Bar Franchising LLC’s 2022 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: Pop Bar Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Popbar filings
The figures on this page come from Pop Bar Franchising LLC’s 2022 filing, issued March 16, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | March 16, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other ice cream franchises
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