Quick Verdict · who it fits
Kona Ice fits owner-operators looking for a mature food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$115K - $229K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$15K
Royalty (Item 6)
15%
System size (Item 20)
1,929 +140
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
18+ yrs
Company-owned units
4
Model Kona Ice's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Financing available✓Exclusive territory•Owner-operator required✓No bankruptcy disclosed
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 15% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (15%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
1,933
Total units open
140
Units opened last year
27
Units closed last year
113
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
4
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Kona Ice ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
8th pct · of 811 peers
Franchise fee
4th pct · of 811 peers
System size
97th pct · of 811 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$528K - $1.3M
Avg franchise fee
$38K
Avg system size
235
Franchises analyzed
811
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kona Ice | Disclosed | $15K | $115K - $229K | 15% | 1,929 |
| Elite ProduceSimilar price | None | $50K | $22K - $229K | 25% | 0 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
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Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Kona Ice requires a $15,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $114,730–$228,601, per the most recent FDD on file.
Kona Ice franchises are sold by Kona Ice, Inc., the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. Kona Ice discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 15% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Kona Ice has 1,929 total locations, with 140 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. Kona Ice grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, Kona Ice discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $7,500, a transfer fee of $7,500. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt