Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise takes $387,000 – $716,000 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $25,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, Ritter's Frozen Custard asks for $150,000 in liquid cash and a $750,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $387,000 | $716,000 | $387,000 to $716,000 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $750,000 | $750,000 | $750,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $387,000 | $716,000 | $387,000 to $716,000 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 5% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Ritter's Frozen Custard cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Ritter's Frozen Custard's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Ritter's Frozen Custard's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $387,000 — about 1.4× the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $25,000 — about 29% below the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
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How Ritter's Frozen Custard's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2020: began the window at 25 units; 4 units opened, 10 closed, ending at 18 units. (partial records: 2016, 2017, 2018 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
Not enough history to compute a survival figure — we need at least three years of unit data, and we don't extrapolate.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Ritter's Frozen Custard or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Ritter's Frozen Custard for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Ritter's Frozen Custard is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Ritter's Frozen Custard grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Ritter's Frozen Custard can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise
Ritter's Frozen Custard is a food & beverage franchisor with 18 units at the end of 2020 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2020, it began the window at 25 units; its filings record 4 unit openings and 10 closures, ending at 18 units (partial records: 2016, 2017, 2018 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is AUA TRUFOODS, LLC. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
Disclosure filings report 1 franchise-related lawsuit. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
We offer franchises for the operation of Shoppes under the name “Ritter’s Frozen Custard” offering a wide variety of frozen custard products and beverages, as well as hamburgers, hot dogs and fries. We also offer co-branding opportunities and satellite “scoop shoppe” opportunities.
Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise cost?
- $387,000 – $716,000 all-in to open, per Ritter's Frozen Custard's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Ritter's Frozen Custard units are there?
- 18 units at the end of 2020 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).