U-Swirl franchise
2022 filing · September 28, 2022Fewer locations
U-Swirl at a glance
A self-serve frozen yogurt store, offered under U-Swirl and sister names such as CherryBerry, Yogurtini and Aspen Leaf Yogurt. At the end of 2022 there were 64 U-Swirl locations in the US, 61 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- U-Swirl International, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 1,400–2,400 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $339K–$506K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of net sales, paid weekly, plus 1% to the advertising fund, up to 3% to a regional cooperative and 1% on local advertising
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of net sales, less any amount sent to a regional co-op, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 64
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 61
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- −35
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 21
- Most in Georgia, Minnesota and Arizona
Support and records
From U-Swirl International, Inc’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
U-Swirl among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | U-Swirl | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $422,380 | Costs more than 57% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 64 | More than 69% of franchises |
How much a U-Swirl franchise costs
Opening one U-Swirl costs an estimated $339,000 to $505,760. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are furniture, fixtures and equipment ($150,000 to $190,400) and real estate and improvements ($131,000 to $185,920). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $5,000 | $25,000 | |
| Real Estate and Improvements | $131,000 | $185,920 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $150,000 | $190,400 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Signs | $7,000 | $13,440 | |
| Opening Inventory | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Grand Opening | $5,000 | ||
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $35,000 | $71,000 | |
| Total | $339,000 | $505,760 | |
Source: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 21
U-Swirl franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 17
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of net sales, paid weekly, plus 1% to the advertising fund, up to 3% to a regional cooperative and 1% on local advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of net sales, less any amount sent to a regional co-op, paid with the royalty. |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000,9 |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Mandatory Meetings and Additional Mandatory Training | $350 - $1,500, plus program fee |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 17
Other fees as filed, from pages 18–19. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures U-Swirl 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: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 48
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $420K–$740K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to U-Swirl franchisees
Lenders approved 4 SBA 7(a) loans for U-Swirl franchisees from 2013 to 2017, $500K in all. All 3 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other one hasn’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
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2022 / 2020–2022. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | U-Swirl | Typical frozen yogurt brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −14% / −36% | 0% / −8.1% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 14% / 44% | 4.9% / 17% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical frozen yogurt brand is the median of the 5 brands in frozen yogurt franchises with three years of counts.
How U-Swirl compares
Of the 13 frozen yogurt franchises on this site, U-Swirl is the 11th cheapest to open and the 5th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | U-Swirl | Typical frozen yogurt brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $339K | $292K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $506K | $684K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $30K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 64 | 61 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 9 of 13 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 13 brands in frozen yogurt franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 80 (−16) | 4 | +1 | −17 |
| 2021 | 71 (−9) | 3 | +6 | −15 |
| 2022 | 61 (−10) | 3 | 0 | −10 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Counts include stores under the sister frozen yogurt names.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 48
Where U-Swirl locations are
At the end of 2022, U-Swirl had locations in 21 states. The most are in Georgia, Minnesota and Arizona.
- Georgia9
- Minnesota8
- Arizona7
- Nevada5
- Missouri4
- North Carolina4
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Minnesota | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Arizona | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Nevada | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Missouri | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| North Dakota | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Texas | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Illinois | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Iowa | 2 | 0 | 2 |
All 21 states
| Kansas | 2 |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | 2 |
| South Dakota | 2 |
| Arkansas | 1 |
| California | 1 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Utah | 1 |
Source: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 49
Who owns U-Swirl?
U-Swirl franchises are sold by U-Swirl International, Inc.
From U-Swirl International, Inc’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 15–17. |
|---|---|
| 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: U-Swirl International, Inc, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 15–17, bankruptcy on page 17
U-Swirl filings
The figures on this page come from U-Swirl International, Inc’s 2022 filing, issued September 28, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | September 28, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other frozen yogurt franchises
All frozen yogurt franchises
U-Swirl is also on these lists: food franchises.