Franchise opportunities compared
Carvel Corporation vs Waffle Cabin
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.
- Carvel Corporation and Waffle Cabin 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 (Carvel Corporation: 5, Waffle Cabin: 46). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Carvel Corporation | WCWaffle Cabin |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $38,850 – $1,051,200 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $91,000 – $189,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $3,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 30 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| 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% Royaltygrosssales 2026 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 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 720 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 93 | 58 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +68 Calculated: 652 at end of 2023 → 720 at end of 2025 | +6 Calculated: 52 at end of 2023 → 58 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) | 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Holiday Valley, NY; 1 Cabin 1 units other Holiday Valley, NY · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Okemo Mountain, VT; 2 Cabin 2 units other Okemo Mountain, VT · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Killington Resort, VT; 4 Cabin $612,929 other Killington Resort, VT · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44 +43 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.
Carvel Corporation vs Waffle Cabin: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Carvel Corporation or Waffle Cabin?
- Carvel Corporation: $38,850 – $1,051,200 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Waffle Cabin: $91,000 – $189,000 (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 Carvel Corporation and Waffle Cabin royalties compare?
- Carvel Corporation: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31); Waffle Cabin: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Carvel Corporation or Waffle Cabin?
- Carvel Corporation: 720 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 93); Waffle Cabin: 58 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Carvel Corporation and Waffle Cabin disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Carvel Corporation has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Waffle Cabin has reviewed Item 19 figures for 46 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.