Cooper’s Scoopers
Bottom line
- Total investment $26K – $80K including a $15K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — the franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Rated CAUTION with a risk score of 75/100. SBA loan default rate of 0.0% across 1 loans (below the industry average).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note — flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Yale framework · single-unit ROIC
Returns Analysis
Pulls Item 7 (investment) and Item 19 (revenue) from this brand's FDD into the Yale unlevered-ROIC formula. Override any input to stress-test it against your own assumptions.
The model · Yale framework
What would one Cooper’s Scoopers unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
225%
Above typical band (30–60%)
Overview
About
Cooper's Scoopers is an ice cream shop franchise where franchisees operate retail locations serving ice cream, frozen treats, and beverages to walk-in customers. Day-to-day operations include inventory management, customer service, staffing, equipment maintenance, and promotional activities within a protected territory.
Item 7 · what it costs
The Vitals
Item 19
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 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 phone area codes (Item 20). Approximate — ported numbers may show the original state, not the franchisee's current location.
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Avoid this franchise: Litigation-plagued parent company leadership, system collapse (4 units only), undisclosed financials, going concern status, and aggressive royalty floor create extreme operational and financial risk.
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHExtreme litigation risk: Multiple fraud allegations, breach of contract, securities violations, and DOJ settlement involving parent company Chairman John Hewitt create substantial reputational and operational risk
- 02MINORSystem collapse indicators: Only 4 units with unknown/likely stagnant growth suggests failed franchise model unable to attract or retain franchisees
- 03HIGHFinancial opacity: No disclosed average revenue or net income data prevents ROI validation; combined with going concern status, suggests financial distress
- 04MINORAggressive hybrid royalty structure: Greater of 12% OR $125/week ($6,500/year minimum) means even struggling locations pay fixed overhead, reducing profitability during slow periods
- 05MINORParent company integrity concerns: Consent order requiring DOJ settlement disclosure indicates serious regulatory violations affecting franchisee brand trust and legal exposure
- 06MEDMinimal franchisee base: 4 units is critically small; no disclosed growth trajectory suggests existing franchisees are not profitable enough to attract new investment
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Item 11
Training & Operations
Item 20
Franchisee Contacts
Phone numbers extracted directly from this brand's FDD Item 20. After purchase, you'll also receive a list of validation questions tailored to this brand.
Franchisee contacts
6 numbers
One-time purchase · CSV download · Validation questions included
FDD download
Cooper’s Scoopers · FDD (2026) PDF