Franchise opportunities compared
Brusters Real Ice Cream vs Carvel Corporation
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Brusters Real Ice Cream and Carvel Corporation disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Brusters Real Ice Cream: 28, Carvel Corporation: 5). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Brusters Real Ice Cream |  Carvel Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $414,900 – $1,244,700 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $38,850 – $1,051,200 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $40,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11 | $3,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | $5.00 Note 1) — 5 Item 6 Other Fees Type of Fee Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 | $6.00 OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1, 4 Amount Date Due Remarks Royalty Fee — 6% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $3.00 the use of the brand and current operating system. Marketing Fund Contribution — 3 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 | $2.00 Marketing Obligation Currently, each calendar quarter, you must spend not less than — 2% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | Not available No reviewed outlet counts | 720 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 93 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | Not available Only one year reported | +68 Calculated: 652 at end of 2023 → 720 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | 1950 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Mid-Range AUV band 28.5 percent other Table1 2023 Mid-Range Percent total · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised stores operating standard7-day schedule at least358days $372,762 other Table2 2014 AUV · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate-owned store 1 stores other Table3 2020 Sample · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57 +25 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 104eligible singlebranded full Streetside Shoppes — 2nd Quartile 26 shoppes other 2nd Quartile Sample size · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 92 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 104eligible singlebranded full Streetside Shoppes — Top Quartile $779,624 other Top Quartile Mean net sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 92 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 104eligible singlebranded full Streetside Shoppes — 3rd Quartile 26 shoppes other 3rd Quartile Sample size · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 92 +2 more groups in the full report |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.