Franchise opportunities compared
Shipley Do-Nuts vs sweetFrog
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.
- Shipley Do-Nuts and sweetFrog 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 (Shipley Do-Nuts: 16, sweetFrog: 4). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Shipley Do-Nuts |  sweetFrog |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $62,000 – $516,512 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $25,000 – $692,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $20,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14 | $10,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% Royalty weekly gross sales — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 | 5% · Notes 1 and 13) — 5% umn 3 Due Date Column 4 Remarks Royalty Fee and Surcharge 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 1% System Brand Fund — 1% — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15 | 2.5% of traditional franchised business) (note 1) — 2.5% Advertising Fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 786 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58 | 406 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 83 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +88 Calculated: 698 at end of 2023 → 786 at end of 2025 | −26 Calculated: 432 at end of 2023 → 406 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 | 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 — Reporting company $1,520,037 other Reporting company · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 55 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchise 127 shops other Franchise · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top25% franchised shops $1,468,882 other Top25% franchised · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56 +13 more groups in the full report | Franchised (185 locations) — other measures — All franchised sweetFrog stores in the United States that were eligible for the… $514,782 other All franchised outlets · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 82 Franchised (37 locations) — other measures — Top 20% franchised sweetFrog outlets within the eligible US gross-sales populat… 37 units other Top 20% franchised outlets · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 82 Franchised (37 locations) — other measures — Bottom 20% franchised sweetFrog outlets in the eligible US group for Dec. 1, 20… 25 units other Bottom 20% franchised outlets · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 82 +1 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.
Shipley Do-Nuts vs sweetFrog: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Shipley Do-Nuts or sweetFrog?
- Shipley Do-Nuts: $62,000 – $516,512 (2026 FDD · Item 7); sweetFrog: $25,000 – $692,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for sweetFrog. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Shipley Do-Nuts and sweetFrog royalties compare?
- Shipley Do-Nuts: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14); sweetFrog: 5% · Notes 1 and 13) — 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Shipley Do-Nuts or sweetFrog?
- Shipley Do-Nuts: 786 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58); sweetFrog: 406 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 83). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Shipley Do-Nuts and sweetFrog disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Shipley Do-Nuts has reviewed Item 19 figures for 16 location groups; sweetFrog has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 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.