Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise takes $107,450 – $267,000 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $24,000 – $41,500. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $24,000 | $41,500 | $24,000 to $41,500 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $107,450 | $267,000 | $107,450 to $267,000 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $107,450 | $267,000 | $107,450 to $267,000 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 5 years |
See the full Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $107,450 — about 62% below the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $24,000 — about 31% 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2020: began the window at 13 units; 45 units opened, 35 closed, ending at 35 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 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 Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise
Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt is a food & beverage franchisor with 35 units at the end of 2020 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2020, it began the window at 13 units; its filings record 45 unit openings and 35 closures, ending at 35 units (partial records: 2016, 2017, 2018 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Sub Zero Franchise Company, LLC.
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 to qualified individuals and entities to operate Sub Zero franchises under the “Sub Zero Ice Cream” service marks, trade names, programs, and systems. Our franchises specialize in the preparation and sale of food and beverage items, currently including ice cream using a unique “instant freezing” method, and related products and services using our distinctive business formats, systems, methods, procedures, designs, layouts, standards and specifications, and proprietary recipes (the “Method of Operation”). We also offer a multiple purchase addendum under which qualified individuals and entities may operate multiple Sub Zero franchises within a specific territory.
Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt franchise cost?
- $107,450 – $267,000 all-in to open, per Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt units are there?
- 35 units at the end of 2020 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- Is Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt SBA-eligible?
- Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt is flagged SBA-eligible in our dataset (as of 2026-05). Confirm current status on the SBA Franchise Directory before relying on it for financing.