Frios gourmet pops Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $72K – $91K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Frios Gourmet Pops is a franchise selling colorful gourmet ice pops from tie-dye trucks and small shops at events and neighborhoods. Franchisees run a mobile or kiosk operation booking events and managing product and service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Frios gourmet pops franchise requires a total initial investment of $72K – $91K, including a $38K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2025 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - a newer filing may exist
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored3 of 3 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $72K – $91K
- 2nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Projection
- Royalty
- Flat fee
- Units
- 109
- 32nd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $72K – $91K including a $38K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports "Number of Pops Purchased" per outlet for the 2024 Calendar Year (50 Operational Franchise Outlets), NOT gross sales in dollars. Total across all outlets: Average 29,972 pops, Median 26,592, Low 2,016, High 99,024. No dollar sales/revenue figures are disclosed.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 65/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +19 franchised outlets in the latest year (30 opened, 11 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAG7 units terminated last reporting year (6.4% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Frios Franchising Company, LLC
- Parent company
- FGP Holding, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- FRIOS Gourmet Pops LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Clifford L. Kennedy III
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1201 West I-65 Service Road North, Mobile, Alabama 36618
- Auditor
- Reese CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $515K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- Gulf Coast Treats
- has not in the past and does not now offer franchises in any lines of business
- is the supplier of Frios pops to franchisees
- maintains a pr
- FGP Manufacturing
- operates a Frios business similar to the Franchised Business in Mobile
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Clifford L. Kennedy III
- Headquarters
- AL
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 25
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 88% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $38K | $38K | |
| Sweet Ride Van, Wrap, and Equipment | $15K | $17K | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System | $300 | $2K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $1K | $2K | |
| Initial Starter Pack | $6K | $7K | |
| Insurance Deposits - Three Months | $1K | $2K | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $750 | $2K | |
| Professional Fees | $250 | $3K | |
| Licenses and Permits | $200 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $10K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $72K | $91K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $72K – $91K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $38K – $38K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Flat weekly fee ranging from $125 to $875 based on the nu…
- Ad fund
- Up to 2% of Gross Sales, currently not assessed
- Total fee load
- 2.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Weekly flat fee based on number of territories and weeks of operation. 1 territory: $125/week (weeks 1-26 and 27-52), $150/week (weeks 53-104), $175/week (weeks 105-520). Scales with additional territories. |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $6K – $7K |
| Total fee load | 2.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Frios gourmet pops is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Frios gourmet pops unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, royalty rate, ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 reports "Number of Pops Purchased" per outlet for the 2024 Calendar Year (50 Operational Franchise Outlets), NOT gross sales in dollars. Total across all outlets: Average 29,972 pops, Median 26,592, Low 2,016, High 99,024. No dollar sales/revenue figures are disclosed.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 2.0% — below the Full-Service Restaurants median of 7.0%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports pops purchased rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 83.1% CAGR over 3 years across 109 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants medians
How Frios gourmet pops Compares
Category median of published Full-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 109
- Opened
- 30
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 11
- Terminated
- 7
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 3
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.1%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +83.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +83.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 7
- Not renewed
- 3
- Transferred
- 6
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 20
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 6.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 11.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 12.2%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 25 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
25
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $259K
- Median loan
- $75K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 3 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (3)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Lack of financial transparency (no Item 19) combined with going concern questions and modest unit growth creates material uncertainty around franchisee profitability and franchisor stability.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Reese CPA LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) — impossible to assess ROI or profitability
- 02MINOROnly 109 units with 21.3% YoY growth is modest for a gourmet concept; growth rate doesn't offset small base
- 03MED10-year term is lengthy with no disclosed exit provisions or buyback guarantees
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 2.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 150,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Mobile County, Alabama |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | AL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 2 hrs
- Training location
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania or Fort Worth, Texas
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Square
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
76 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Frios gourmet pops franchise?
The total investment to open a Frios gourmet pops franchise ranges from $72K – $91K, with an initial franchise fee of $38K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Frios gourmet pops franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Frios gourmet pops FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Frios gourmet pops?
Frios gourmet pops is franchised by Frios Franchising Company, LLC. Its parent company is FGP Holding, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Frios gourmet pops FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Frios gourmet pops FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Frios gourmet pops's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Frios gourmet pops (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 Frios gourmet pops franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Frios gourmet pops has 109 total units in the United States, including 108 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 30 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Frios gourmet pops a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Frios gourmet pops as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 65 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.
For franchisors
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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.