Meadows Original Frozen CustardFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Meadows Original Frozen Custard franchise requires a total initial investment of $134K – $512K, including a $25K 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
- $134K – $512K
- 15th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 29
- 53rd 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
Franchising since 1987. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $134K – $512K including a $25K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 44/100.
- System growing at 20.8% CAGR over 3 years with 29 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- The Meadows Franchise Systems, Inc.
- Parent company
- Gardner Meadows, Inc.
- CEO title
- President
- Steven D. Gardner
- CEO experience
- 20 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 310 Penn Street, Suite 300, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
- Auditor
- Link & Associates, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $223K
- vs $270K prior year
Overview
About
Meadows Original Frozen Custard franchisees operate standalone or co-located frozen dessert retail locations, serving premium frozen custard, ice cream, and related products. Day-to-day operations include inventory management, food preparation, customer service, staffing, and seasonal labor challenges typical of QSR dessert concepts. Most revenue is likely concentrated in warm-weather months, requiring careful cash flow management.
- CEO
- Steven D. Gardner
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 1986
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $4K | $10K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $105K | $477K |
| Total initial investment | $134K | $512K |
Source: Meadows Original Frozen Custard 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
- $134K – $512K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $4K – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- None
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 1.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $50 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 1.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Meadows Original Frozen Custard Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 29
- 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
- Multi-unit owners
- 8.8%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +11.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +20.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 10 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 9 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 9
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Meadows presents a CAUTION-to-HIGH RISK profile due to missing financial disclosure (Item 19), uncertain franchisor financial health (Going Concern = False), minimal system size (29 units), and opaque unit economics despite significant capital requirement.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Link & Associates, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed — impossible to assess ROI or payback period on $134k-$512k investment
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE, indicating potential financial distress at franchisor level
- 03MINORUnit growth of only 11.5% YoY is modest for a growing brand and suggests market saturation or recruitment challenges
- 04MINORWide investment range ($134k-$512k) with no net income data makes cost predictability impossible for franchisees
- 05MINORNo royalty fees creates revenue uncertainty for franchisor sustainability and ongoing support quality
- 06MEDOnly 29 total units is a micro-franchise system with limited brand recognition and economies of scale
- 07MINORFrozen custard category is highly seasonal and location-dependent, increasing individual unit volatility
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 | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not 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 | No |
| Governing law | Pennsylvania |
| 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
- 4 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 204 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
32 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Meadows Original Frozen Custard · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Meadows Original Frozen Custard franchise?
The total investment to open a Meadows Original Frozen Custard franchise ranges from $134K – $512K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Meadows Original Frozen Custard franchise owners earn?
Meadows Original Frozen Custard 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 Meadows Original Frozen Custard's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Meadows Original Frozen Custard (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 Meadows Original Frozen Custard franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Meadows Original Frozen Custard has 29 total units in the United States, including 24 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Meadows Original Frozen Custard a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Meadows Original Frozen Custard 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.
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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.