Carousel’sFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Carousel’s franchise requires a total initial investment of $76K – $100K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $76K – $100K
- 2nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 42nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 9
- 20th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $76K – $100K including a $35K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 74/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Carousel’s Franchise Group, LLC
- Parent company
- Carousel’s, LLC
- CEO title
- CEO
- Corey Curyto, Sr.
- CEO experience
- 12 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 5103 Lena Road, Suite 112 Bradenton, Florida 34211
- Auditor
- R. Evans & Assoc., Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $478K
- vs $330K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2023
- Status as of 2023; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Carousel's franchisees operate carousel-based amusement attractions, likely in family entertainment venues, shopping centers, or leisure facilities. Day-to-day operations include customer service, ride safety/maintenance, cash handling, cleaning, and compliance with local entertainment regulations.
- CEO
- Corey Curyto, Sr.
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 4
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $12K | $18K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $29K | $47K |
| Total initial investment | $76K | $100K |
Source: Carousel’s 2023 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $76K – $100K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $12K – $18K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Carousel’s Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +50.0%
- Net unit change last year
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 12
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 22.2%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Early-stage carousel/amusement concept with only 9 units, undisclosed financials, and fixed minimum royalties creates elevated risk despite protected territory and no litigation.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · R. Evans & Assoc., Inc.⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD Item 19 — impossible to assess ROI or break-even timeline
- 02MINOROnly 9 units operating with 50% YoY growth suggests very early-stage system with minimal track record and unproven model scalability
- 03MINORMinimum weekly royalty of $125 ($6,500/year) creates fixed cost burden regardless of sales performance, problematic for struggling locations
- 04MEDInitial investment range of $75,750–$99,750 appears high relative to unit count and lack of disclosed profitability data
- 05MINOR10-year term is relatively long commitment given system immaturity and absence of performance benchmarks
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Population |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Sarasota County, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 48 hrs
- Training location
- Sarasota, Florida
- POS system
- NCR Silver
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: NCR Silver
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
4 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Carousel’s · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Carousel’s franchise?
The total investment to open a Carousel’s franchise ranges from $76K – $100K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Carousel’s franchise owners earn?
Carousel’s does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Carousel’s's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Carousel’s (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Carousel’s franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Carousel’s has 9 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Carousel’s a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Carousel’s as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 74 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.