The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar franchise
2023 filing · May 30, 2023GrowingShares sales figures
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar at a glance
A quick-service dessert shop serving gourmet milkshakes, ice cream, dessert nachos, ice cream sandwiches and waffles. At the end of 2022 there were 3 The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar locations in the US, 1 franchised and 2 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Steele Management Group, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 2,500–3,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $278K–$578K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus 1% to the advertising and marketing fund (up to 4%)
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross revenue a month, paid monthly; it can rise to 4%
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 10% of our then current initial franchise fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 1
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 2
- Most in South Carolina and North Carolina
From Steele Management Group, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $427,750 | Costs more than 57% 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 | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar franchise costs
Opening one The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar costs an estimated $277,500 to $578,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are additional funds—3 months ($72,000 to $150,000) and leasehold improvements ($50,000 to $125,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Training Expenses | $2,000 | $6,000 | |
| Rent and Deposit (three months estimable ) | $24,000 | $50,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $50,000 | $125,000 | |
| Equipment and Small Wares | $50,000 | $125,000 | |
| Fixtures and Furniture | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Signage | $8,000 | $15,000 | |
| Technology and POS System | $7,000 | $10,000 | |
| Office Supplies | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Legal and Accounting | $3,500 | $7,500 | |
| Dues and Subscriptions | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $3,500 | |
| Insurance | $500 | $3,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $19,000 | $33,000 | |
| Additional Funds—3 months | $72,000 | $150,000 | |
| Total | $277,500 | $578,000 | |
Source: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 15
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus 1% to the advertising and marketing fund (up to 4%). |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross revenue a month, paid monthly; it can rise to 4%. |
| Renewal Fee | 10% of our then current initial franchise fee |
| Additional training fee | Then-current fee, which will not exceed $500 per day |
| Local Advertising, Marketing, and Promotional Expenditure | 1% of Gross Revenue Monthly |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 49
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $400K–$690K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar franchisee in 2023, for $405K. It was paid in full.
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 The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar compares
Of the 101 ice cream franchises on this site, The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar is the 46th cheapest to open and the 83rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar | Typical ice cream brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $278K | $285K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $578K | $597K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 3 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 (+1) | 2 | +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: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 52
Where The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar locations are
At the end of 2022, The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar had locations in 2 states. The most are in South Carolina and North Carolina.
- South Carolina2
- North Carolina1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, page 52
Who owns The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar?
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar franchises are sold by Steele Management Group, LLC.
From Steele Management Group, LLC’s 2023 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: Steele Management Group, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar filings
The figures on this page come from Steele Management Group, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued May 30, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | May 30, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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