How much does an Abbott's Frozen Custard franchise cost?
Opening an Abbott's Frozen Custard franchise takes a total initial investment of $496,900 to $1,831,200, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median gross sales of $326,675 across 5 outlets.
Abbott’s Frozen Custard franchises Abbott’s Stands. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open an Abbott's Frozen Custard franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $496,900 to $1,831,200. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Real Estate & Improvements ($114,400 to $1,300,000), Operational Equipment ($258,800 to $276,900), and Stand Design Costs ($25,000 to $75,000). Together they make up about 90% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $37,000, about 7.4% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $37,000 | $37,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Operational Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $258,800 | $276,900 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Exterior Signs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $6,500 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Stand Design Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $25,000 | $75,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Real Estate & Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $114,400 | $1,300,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Opening Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $18,000 | $39,300 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Initial Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Travel and Lodging Costs Related to Initial Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $1,200 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Utilities2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $3,000 | $7,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Office Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $500 | $500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Insurance Premiums2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $2,500 | $7,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Additional Funds – 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $25,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $496,900 | $1,831,200 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
Source Abbott's Frozen Custard, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Abbott's Frozen Custard franchisees actually report earning
Median Gross Sales
$326,675
Abbott's Frozen Custard's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the Fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025; November 1 to October 31. Basis: Certain franchised and corporate Abbott’s Stands, including Designated Franchised Stands and Drive-Through Stands.
Sample size: 5 outlets. The FDD also reports average gross sales of $323,276. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- Table 1 excludes the 9 Legacy Locations and the franchised Stands with drive-throughs.
- Table 2 includes Drive-Through Stands F through K, which are franchised, and Drive-Through Stands L, M, and N, which are corporate.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Abbott's Frozen Custard outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Abbott's Frozen Custard, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 40-41, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Abbott's Frozen Custard outlets there are, and how many closed
Abbott's Frozen Custard ended 2025 with 21 franchised outlets and 6 company-owned outlets. In that year no franchised outlets opened and 3 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Abbott's Frozen Custard opened 6 franchised outlets and 5 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 1, from 20 to 21 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 5 were terminated.
On average, about 7.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 13.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
| 2024 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
| 2023 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
Source Abbott's Frozen Custard, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 48, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Abbott's Frozen Custard compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Abbott's Frozen Custard's estimated range is $1,164,050. It costs more to open than 76% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 7.9% for Abbott's Frozen Custard. That is higher than 63% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Abbott's Frozen Custard's franchised system grew 5.0%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 4.4%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Abbott's Frozen Custard is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Abbott's Frozen Custard files a new FDD
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