Summary
Frozen yogurt looks light and simple, but it runs on cold equipment and summer traffic. Neighborhood U.S. rents sit in the mid-$20s/sf/year; prime corridors can be 2–3× higher. Entry-level wages are usually in the mid-teens $/hour. Commercial power ranges from about 9–12¢ to 20–30+¢/kWh by state, and delivery platforms commonly take 15–30% on delivery (~6% on pickup). Model locally before you price.
Frozen yogurt franchise market overview in the U.S.
A frozen yogurt franchise sells customization and “better-for-you” positioning: soft-serve bases (tart, creamy, non-dairy), a toppings bar, and a bright, family-friendly room. The footprint is compact, prep is light, and training is quick, which is why froyo rebuilt after the last cycle with smaller boxes, tighter menus, and more disciplined labor. What actually moves the P&L is outside the cup: rent per square foot, wage bands for counter staff, kWh for compressors and A/C, sales tax on prepared desserts, and marketplace commissions if you do off-premise. Summer brings the volume; strong units smooth the shoulder months with coffee, smoothies, parfaits, or co-branded desserts.
Investment and Fees
Indicative frozen yogurt franchise cost ranges by format. Actual budgets vary by site, build-out scope, machine count, and landlord standards.
| Format / Model | Initial investment (range) | Franchise fee (range) | Ongoing fees (royalty / ad fund) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen yogurt kiosk (mall / transit) | $90,000 – $220,000 | $10,000 – $25,000 | 4–6% / 0–2% |
| Inline froyo shop (600–1,000 sq ft) | $180,000 – $420,000 | $15,000 – $35,000 | 4–6% / 1–3% |
| Self-serve / pay-by-weight (larger inline) | $250,000 – $550,000 | $20,000 – $45,000 | 4–6% / 1–3% |
| Co-branded dessert corner (inside café/food hall) | $90,000 – $250,000 | $10,000 – $25,000 | 4–6% / 0–2% |
Startup costs and ongoing fees
Startup typically covers: leasehold works; power for soft-serve machines (compressors draw real load); back-of-house cold storage; toppings bar with sneeze guards and temperature control; POS/loyalty; signage; opening stock (mixes, toppings, cups/lids); training; and working capital.
Ongoing spend includes: royalties/ad fund; labor for afternoon/evening peaks; mixes, fruit, dry toppings, packaging; occupancy (base rent, CAM, insurance); utilities (24/7 cold + A/C in warm states); and delivery commissions if used. High performers watch two numbers daily: orders per labor hour and average ticket (upsizes + toppings).
Popular frozen yogurt formats (kiosk, inline, self-serve, co-branded)
Kiosk is the speed-to-market play for malls and transit; storage is tight, so the menu stays focused. Inline shops add brand presence, a full toppings bar, and room for pickup shelves or small seating. Self-serve/pay-by-weight leans on weekend families and after-school traffic; labor per dollar sold can be efficient, but food-safety and cleaning discipline must be strict. Co-branded corners bolt onto cafés or food halls to capture dessert without a full build-out.
Requirements & ideal franchisee profile
Franchisors want owners with enough liquidity to finish the build-out at local prices, comfort with schedule planning for seasonal peaks, and discipline on cold-chain and sanitation logs. Prior dessert or café background helps; strong training can get first-timers live. Multi-unit candidates should plan shared purchasing for cups, toppings, and cleaning supplies, and secure reliable service for soft-serve machines.
Trends & unit-economics drivers
Ticket growth comes from upsizes, premium toppings, and tie-ins (shakes, smoothies, acai parfaits) that sell outside peak summer. Throughput improves with clear station roles and a toppings layout that prevents bottlenecks. Second-gen sites compress capex and speed openings. In hot states, A/C and compressor loads make kWh a top-three line; in colder states, winter survival depends on hot drinks and school/office catering. Keep delivery as reach; steer repeat guests to the first-party to protect margin.
How to choose a frozen yogurt franchise
Match the format to the trade area: kiosk for captive mall footfall, inline for neighborhood streets, self-serve for family clusters, co-branded for food halls or cafés. Price real rent, wages, and kWh for your city; confirm electrical capacity for machines and A/C before you sign. Ask for machine specs, cleaning cycles, and toppings-bar temperature controls. Map marketplace commission tiers and launch loyalty/order-ahead on day one so the unit doesn’t live on 25–30% delivery fees.
Testimonials
I am very grateful to the Topfranchise team. Thanks to the platform www.topfranchise.com I sold a Master franchise to Pakistan this year!
So far, we have been pleased and treated as valued customers providing discounts to advertising packages in the English and the Russian version of the company.
We move forward into 2022, with the assurance of having TopFranchise as a valued advertising
partner in expanding the Mikel Brand even further.
A few years ago we decided to start the global expansion, so we started looking for ways how to find our new franchisees. Last year we noticed the Topfranchise.com marketplace.
Since the time we got listed here, our Franchise pitch has been visited by thousands of people, and a couple of hundreds had left their requests. I would like to share a success story. We received the lead from Topfranchise.com. It was a potential franchisee from the USA, who was interested in becoming a part of our company. Today he operates as our Franchisee in Grove town, USA.
At Topfranchise.com we have a manager, who keeps track of our success. If something goes wrong, we can be sure to receive advice. For the extra advertisement, we used newsletters and banners, which helped to attract more potential franchisees.
We express our gratitude to the TopFranchise.com team for their professionalism.
We get a lot of leads performing well as a potential franchisees. We are glad that we have chosen TopFranchise.com as a partner and look forward to further fruitful cooperation.
Cleaning service is now available in Cyprus for houses, apartments and small offices.
Thanks to the Topfranchise team!
After all the preparations and settings, the result came up very soon. Customers do not hesitate to contact us , and we find them reliable. It is wonderful work for Topfranchise.com.
In the time I have been with them I have had a good response, with leads coming in from every corner of the world and from countries you would not expect to get enquiries.
I decided in April this year to increase my budget to get more leads from overseas and explored other websites with an international exposure, but eventually I decided to spend my money with TopFranchise because of the quality of the service they provide. I invested in newsletters and banner listings with them which provided even more leads.
To date the investment I made with TopFranchise has been repaid with lead convertions.
Topfranchise is so helpful. They help us to find customer from different countries. After we discussed with customers the possible cooperation, we realized that customers from Topfranchise.com have a great potential and strong financials that can help to improve our brand.