Franopolis
    vs

    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.

    Brusters Real Ice Cream2026 FDDCarvel Corporation2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    $414,900 – $1,143,700

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20

    Carvel Corporation

    $38,850 – $1,051,200

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    $40,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Carvel Corporation

    $3,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30

    Royalty · Item 6

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    5% · Note 1) — 5

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Carvel Corporation

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Carvel Corporation discloses 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.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    $414,900 – $1,143,700
    End-cap store total initial investment: $414,900–$1,143,700
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20

    Carvel Corporation

    $38,850 – $1,051,200
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    $40,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Carvel Corporation

    $3,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    5% · Note 1) — 5
    Item 6 Other Fees Type of Fee Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Carvel Corporation

    6%
    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)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    3%
    the use of the brand and current operating system. Marketing Fund Contribution — 3 — 3%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Carvel Corporation

    2%
    Marketing Obligation Currently, each calendar quarter, you must spend not less than — 2% — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Carvel Corporation

    360
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 93
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Carvel Corporation

    +34
    Calculated: 326 at end of 2023 → 360 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Carvel Corporation

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Carvel Corporation

    1950
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Brusters Real Ice Cream

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Carvel Corporation

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Brusters Real Ice Cream
    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
    Carvel Corporation
    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.

    Brusters Real Ice Cream vs Carvel Corporation: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Brusters Real Ice Cream or Carvel Corporation?
    Brusters Real Ice Cream: $414,900 – $1,143,700 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20); Carvel Corporation: $38,850 – $1,051,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Carvel Corporation. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Brusters Real Ice Cream and Carvel Corporation royalties compare?
    Brusters Real Ice Cream: 5% · Note 1) — 5 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12); Carvel Corporation: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Brusters Real Ice Cream and Carvel Corporation disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Brusters Real Ice Cream has reviewed Item 19 figures for 28 location groups; Carvel Corporation has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Brusters Real Ice Cream report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Carvel Corporation report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Compare Brusters Real Ice Cream with

    Compare Carvel Corporation with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item