How much does a Kilwins franchise cost?
Opening a Kilwins franchise takes a total initial investment of $484,638 to $880,295, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median per store of $814,852 across 143 outlets.
Kilwins franchises retail businesses operating under the Kilwins marks that sell chocolate, candy, chocolate candy products, nuts, ice cream, beverages, other edible food products, and other products. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Kilwins franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $484,638 to $880,295. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Plans and Construction (includes architectural and building permits) ($198,797 to $394,877), Equipment ($110,539 to $185,699), and Additional Funds (3 Months) ($30,000 to $75,000). Together they make up about 74% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $35,000 to $45,000, about 7.2% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $35,000 | $45,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Plans and Construction (includes architectural and building permits)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $198,797 | $394,877 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Site Development Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $27,000 | $27,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $110,539 | $185,699 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Computer Systems (includes POS based on 2 stations and network management equipment)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $14,169 | $14,169 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $38,966 | $58,066 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Signs and Awnings2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $8,395 | $24,461 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $519 | $21,528 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Training Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $3,253 | $7,680 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Business Licenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $25 | $3,400 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $7,500 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $30,000 | $75,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Security Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $475 | $3,415 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15-16 | $484,638 | $880,295 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15-16 |
Source Kilwins, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15-16, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-12.
Item 19
What Kilwins franchisees actually report earning
Median Per Store
$814,852
Kilwins' 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the Calendar year 2025 for Gross Sales; 2024 for Cost of Sales and Non-Owner Payroll; calendar year 2025 for Transaction Values. Basis: Certain franchised Full-Line Kilwins Stores; the data does not apply to Scoops & Sweets.
Sample size: 143 outlets. The FDD also reports average per store of $951,795. 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
- For Gross Sales, the FDD excluded 10 Stores that were seasonally operated and were not open for the entire 12-month period, 2 Stores without full cooking capacity, 22 franchised Kilwins Stores which were not open, even seasonally, for the entire 12-month period, and 2 stores that are not a typical format; no Company-owned Stores were included.
- For Cost of Sales, the FDD states that the information was accumulated from 139 franchised Stores from whom it was able to obtain applicable information.
- For Non-Owner Payroll, the FDD states that the information was accumulated from 139 franchised Stores from whom it was able to obtain applicable information.
- For Transaction Values, the FDD excluded 10 Stores that were seasonally operated and were not open for the entire 12-month period, 2 Stores without full cooking capacity, 22 franchised Kilwins Stores which were not open, even seasonally, for the entire 12-month period, and 2 stores that are not a typical format; no Company-owned Stores were included.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Kilwins outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Kilwins, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 48-49, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-12.
Item 20
How many Kilwins outlets there are, and how many closed
Kilwins ended 2025 with 181 franchised outlets and 6 company-owned outlets. In that year 18 franchised outlets opened and 5 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Kilwins opened 48 franchised outlets and 12 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 36, from 145 to 181 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 1 was terminated, 2 were bought back by the franchisor, and 9 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 2.5% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 39.
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 | 168 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 181 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57 |
| 2024 | 159 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 168 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57 |
| 2023 | 145 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57 |
Source Kilwins, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-12.
Compare
How Kilwins 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 Kilwins' estimated range is $682,467. It costs more to open than 60% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 2.5% for Kilwins. That is lower than 79% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Kilwins' franchised system grew 25%. 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. Kilwins 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 Kilwins files a new FDD
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