Franchise opportunities compared
Carvel Corporation vs Sugar Llamas Enterprises
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
- Carvel Corporation figures come from its 2026 FDD and Sugar Llamas Enterprises figures from its 2024 FDD, so the years differ.
- Carvel Corporation discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only Carvel Corporation has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Carvel Corporation |  Sugar Llamas Enterprises |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $38,850 – $1,051,200 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $252,400 – $368,200 Total estimated initial investment 2024 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $3,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30 | $30,000 2024 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1, 4 Amount Date Due Remarks Royalty Fee — 6% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 | 5% Royalty fee rate 2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 2% Marketing Obligation Currently, each calendar quarter, you must spend not less than — 2% — 2% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32 | 0.5% Brand development fee — 0.5% 2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 720 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 93 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +68 Calculated: 652 at end of 2023 → 720 at end of 2025 | Not available Only one year reported |
| 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) | 1950 From a verified franchisor listing | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| 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 — 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 | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation |
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.
Carvel Corporation vs Sugar Llamas Enterprises: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Carvel Corporation or Sugar Llamas Enterprises?
- Carvel Corporation: $38,850 – $1,051,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Sugar Llamas Enterprises: $252,400 – $368,200 (2024 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17). 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 Carvel Corporation and Sugar Llamas Enterprises royalties compare?
- Carvel Corporation: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31); Sugar Llamas Enterprises: 5% (2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Do Carvel Corporation and Sugar Llamas Enterprises disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Carvel Corporation has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Sugar Llamas Enterprises makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.