Is Ben & Jerry’s or The Sweat Shack cheaper to open?

Ben & Jerry’s costs $280,300–$631,300 and The Sweat Shack costs $288,050–$564,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Ben & Jerry’s has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Ben & Jerry’s or The Sweat Shack?

FranchiseVerdict grades Ben & Jerry’s A and The Sweat Shack C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Ben & Jerry’s vs The Sweat Shack

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Ben & Jerry’s and The Sweat Shack are retail franchises. Ben & Jerry’s requires an investment of $280K – $631K while The Sweat Shack requires $288K – $564K. Ben & Jerry’s discloses average revenue of $665K; The Sweat Shack does not report Item 19 data. Ben & Jerry’s has SBA lending data on file with a 0.0% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Ben & Jerry’s A (Strongest tier) and The Sweat Shack C (Average).

Metric	Ben & Jerry’s	The Sweat Shack
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tierStrongest tier	CAverageAverage
Investment Range	$280K – $631K	$288K – $564K
Franchise Fee	$40K	$45K
Royalty Rate	3.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$665K	N/AIncl. company outlets
SBA Charge-Off Rate	0.0% (20 loans)	Limited data
Total Units	154	3
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1981	2022
FDD Year	2026	2025