King of PopsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A King of Pops franchise requires a total initial investment of $15K – $69K, including a $9K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $15K – $69K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 58
- 64th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-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 system grew 17% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $15K – $69K including a $9K franchise fee.
- Item 19 discloses "gross_sales" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 44/100.
- System growing at 75.0% CAGR over 3 years with 58 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- King of Pops Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Rainbow Umbrella, LLC
- Incorporated in
- GA
- HQ
- 552 Decatur Street SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30312
- Auditor
- Smith+Howard PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $393K
- vs $541K prior year
Overview
About
King of Pops franchisees operate small-format retail locations or carts selling gourmet popsicles and frozen treats. Day-to-day operations involve inventory management, point-of-sale transactions, customer service, and seasonal marketing in their assigned territory.
- CEO
- Steven Carse
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 6
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $9K | $9K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $750 | $2K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $5K | $58K |
| Total initial investment | $15K | $69K |
Source: King of Pops 2025 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
- $15K – $69K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $750 – $2K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $6K – $9K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- The greater of (a) 5% of Gross Sales; or (b) a weekly Min…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 27.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $20 |
| Training fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Total fee load | 27.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "gross_sales" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How King of Pops Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 58
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +16.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +75.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 6 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.
6
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
King of Pops presents moderate-to-cautious risk due to missing financial transparency, unprotected territories, and unclear profitability metrics despite positive unit growth.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith+Howard PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (avg revenue and net income not disclosed) prevents accurate ROI assessment
- 02MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other King of Pops franchisees in same area
- 03MINORWide investment range ($15.2K-$68.5K) suggests inconsistent startup costs or vague disclosure
- 04MINORModest unit growth of 16.7% YoY may indicate market saturation or franchisee acquisition challenges
- 05MINORMinimum weekly royalty floor ($100-$250) creates fixed cost burden even during slow seasonal periods
- 06MINOR5-year term is shorter than industry standard (10 years), reducing franchisee long-term security
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | ZIP codes / Population |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Georgia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 6 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- Square
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
43 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
King of Pops · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a King of Pops franchise?
The total investment to open a King of Pops franchise ranges from $15K – $69K, with an initial franchise fee of $9K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do King of Pops franchise owners earn?
King of Pops 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 King of Pops's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for King of 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 King of Pops franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, King of Pops has 58 total units in the United States, including 32 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is King of Pops a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates King of Pops as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 44 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.
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.