Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $315K – $713K
- Disclosed sales
- $376K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 357 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Rita's Italian Ice is a dessert franchise serving frozen Italian ice, frozen custard, and their layered Gelati. Franchisees run seasonal shops and storefronts managing product prep, service, and staffing, with sales driven by warm weather.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS franchise requires a total initial investment of $315K – $713K, including a $15K – $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.5% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $376K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
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 scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $315K – $713K
- 51st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $376K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.5%
- 89th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 578
- 90th 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 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 $315K – $713K including a $35K franchise fee, 6.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $376K/year (median $342K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +5 franchised outlets in the latest year (22 opened, 11 closed); 63 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Rita's Franchise Company, LLC
- Parent company
- RWIFC Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Rita's Water Ice Franchise Company, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President & CEO
- Linda Chadwick
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 1210 Northbrook Drive, Suite 310, Trevose, PA 19053
- Auditor
- RSM US LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $53.4M
- vs $51.2M prior year
Affiliated brands
- RGCC
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Linda Chadwick
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 30
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about typical for a quick-service restaurants franchise (near the category median).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $35K | $35K | |
| Lease Deposit (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $0 | $13K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $125K | $360K | |
| Equipment (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $105K | $168K | |
| Permits & Licenses (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $1K | $18K | |
| Signage (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $6K | $26K | |
| Insurance (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $200 | $4K | |
| Initial Order (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $8K | $18K | |
| Minimum New Shop Marketing Expenditure (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $12K | $12K | |
| Training (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $50 | $5K | |
| Architect and Attorney Fees (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $4K | $25K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months (Standard Shop without Drive-Thru) | $20K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $315K | $713K |
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
- $315K – $713K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.5%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $18K |
| Total fee load | 9.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 61% below the quick-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$539K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $376K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $342K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 503 outlets
- vs category median 19 · large
- Quartile band
- $220K→$558K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Revenue is only 0.7x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $376K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 0.7x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.5% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.5%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 6/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+4.2% 3-year CAGR) with 578 units.
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 medians
How Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness Compares
Category median of published Quick-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 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 578
- Opened
- 22
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 11
- Turnover rate
- 1.9%
- Company-owned
- 9
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +4.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +4.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Signed, not yet open
- 63
- 0.11 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 33
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 24 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
55 current owners across 24 states.
- CA 8
- PA 5
- TX 5
- GA 4
- IA 3
- IL 3
- NJ 3
- DE 2
- FL 2
- MA 2
- MD 2
- MI 2
- +12 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 65 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 357
- Loan volume
- $82.7M
- Median loan
- $200K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 357 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 357 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 357 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 96
- Defaults
- 36
- Typical loan rate
- 7.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 7225
- Jobs supported
- 4,853
- 5.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 12%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 61% went to startups / new businesses, 39% to established operators
Vintage analysis
Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness franchisees
Showing 3 of 96 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 2.5%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 68%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.52%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $143K
- Lender concentration
- 12.3%
- Job velocity
- 5.9 per $100K
- Startup risk premium
- +16.7pp
- Jobs supported
- 4,853
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 12% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | N/A | N/A | |
| 2 | 16 | N/A | N/A | |
| 3 | 12 | N/A | N/A | |
| 4 | 10 | N/A | N/A | |
| 5 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAPennsylvania | 41 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NJNew Jersey | 21 | 1 | 7.7% |
| MDMaryland | 15 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CACalifornia | 14 | 1 | 7.7% |
| FLFlorida | 13 | 1 | 33.3% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| VAVirginia | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MNMinnesota | 5 | 2 | 40.0% |
| OHOhio | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 3 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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
Large 578-unit frozen-dessert system with two litigation matters (a $3M TCPA class settlement 2016 by predecessor and a franchisee suit settled 2024) — a normal count relative to system size. Financials very strong: net worth $50.7M, revenue $51.4M, net income $2.78M, audited with Item 19.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Sherry Brown TCPA class action against Immediate Predecessor settled 2016 for $3,000,000. Scarpulla, et al. v. Rita's Franchise Company/Rita's Water Ice Franchise Company - franchisee suit alleging CFIL violations, misrepresentation, unfair business practices; compelled to arbitration; settled 2024 with Company paying $450,000 (Immediate Predecessor contributed $100,000); separately Immediate Predecessor settled with Scarpulla Plaintiffs in 2023 for $650,000 plus $100,000 additional payment.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RSM US LLP
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: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORTwo settled matters, low relative to 578-unit system size
- 02MINORVery strong financials: net worth $50.7M, revenue $51.4M
- 03MINORPositive growth +4.2%, audited, Item 19 present
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 radius | 2.5 mi |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Pennsylvania |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Sherry Brown TCPA class action against Immediate Predecessor settled 2016 for $3,000,000. Scarpulla, et al. v. Rita's Franchise Company/Rita's Water Ice Franchise Company - franchisee suit alleging CFIL violations, misrepresentation, unfair business practices; compelled to arbitration; settled 2024 with Company paying $450,000 (Immediate Predecessor contributed $100,000); separately Immediate Predecessor settled with Scarpulla Plaintiffs in 2023 for $650,000 plus $100,000 additional payment.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 10 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 90 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Clover/Bypass POS system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Clover/Bypass POS system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
120 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 RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS franchise?
The total investment to open a RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS franchise ranges from $315K – $713K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $376K. The median is $342K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS?
RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS is franchised by Rita's Franchise Company, LLC. Its parent company is RWIFC Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS 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 RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS (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 RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS has 578 total units in the United States, including 569 franchised units and 9 company-owned units. 22 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates RITA’S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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.