Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Millie's Homemade Ice Cream is a dessert franchise serving chef-inspired dairy ice cream and vegan gelato by the scoop, plus shakes and sundaes. Franchisees run the shops, managing product prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream franchise requires a total initial investment of $254K – $557K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.5% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $254K – $557K
- 38th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Incl. company outlets
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 42nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 14
- 44th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · 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 $254K – $557K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAudited statements of Millie's Franchising, LLC for FY ended Dec 31, 2024. Revenue comprises royalty income $131,079, franchise fees $93,500, and other franchise-related revenue $4,486. Going-concern note: negative shareholder's equity of -$835,584. Auditor report dated April 13, 2025, Troy, MI (firm name not present in extracted text).
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 46/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Millie's Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Frozen Assets Holdings, LLC
- CEO title
- Co-founder and CEO
- Charles Townsend IV
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 235 East 7th Avenue, Homestead, Pennsylvania 15120
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $229K
- vs $133K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Charles Townsend IV
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 38% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $50K | $50K | |
| Rent (3 months) | $9K | $16K | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Architectural Fees and Signage (exterior and interior) | $55K | $275K | |
| Equipment, Furniture, and Digital Menus | $45K | $70K | |
| Opening Inventory | $7K | $12K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing Spend | $10K | $10K | |
| Activation Fee | $8K | $8K | |
| Office Supplies and Smallwares | $5K | $6K | |
| Initial Training Travel Expenses | $2K | $3K | |
| Business Permits & Licenses | $1K | $3K | |
| Insurance - Deposit and 3 Months of premiums | $1K | $3K | |
| Computer Systems | $500 | $4K | |
| Additional Funds - (Initial Period 3 months) | $15K | $25K | |
| Purchase of mobile food truck & upfitting | $45K | $75K | |
| Development Fee | $85K | $300K | |
| Total initial investment | $337K | $857K |
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
- $254K – $557K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $7K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 7.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
26%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Audited statements of Millie's Franchising, LLC for FY ended Dec 31, 2024. Revenue comprises royalty income $131,079, franchise fees $93,500, and other franchise-related revenue $4,486. Going-concern note: negative shareholder's equity of -$835,584. Auditor report dated April 13, 2025, Troy, MI (firm name not present in extracted text).
Includes company-owned outlets
- Median gross sales
- $424K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 11
- vs category median 20
- Range (low → high)
- $83K→$625K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
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 7.5% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 200.0% CAGR over 3 years across 14 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 6% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- 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
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 64%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 5.6%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +200.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +200.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 2
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 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.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $356K
- Median loan
- $178K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 2
- 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
Early-stage ice cream franchise with undisclosed profitability metrics, going concern uncertainty, and limited unit growth raises questions about franchisor viability and franchisee earning potential.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DA Advisory Group PLLC
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
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 46 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern flag is FALSE (meaning concern exists) — franchisor may have financial/operational stability issues
- 02MINORSmall unit count (14 locations) with only 12.5% YoY growth indicates early-stage or stalled expansion
- 03MED5.5% royalty on net sales is standard, but without disclosed net income, true cost burden is opaque
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.5% 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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 112,500 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Pennsylvania |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | PA |
| 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
- 58 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 46 hrs
- Training location
- Pittsburgh, PA; virtual/remote; franchisee's location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Square POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
7 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream franchise?
The total investment to open a Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream franchise ranges from $254K – $557K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream franchise owners earn?
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream 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 Item 19 in the Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream 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 Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream (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 Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream has 14 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 5 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 46 out of 100 (higher is better), 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.