Kona Ice Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Kona Ice franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Kona Ice discloses little or no owner-earnings data (Item 19) — the franchisor won't put real profit in writing.
What their own earnings claim actually says
No financial performance representations made whatsoever. Zero revenue, gross sales, or earnings data disclosed. Complete omission—prospective buyers receive no basis to estimate income.
What a Kona Ice franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $15,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Total initial investment | $114,730 – $228,601 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Royalty is flat dollar ($3K-$5K/yr), not pct of sales; brand fund $1K/yr flat; numerous ancillary fees.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Kona Ice system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 1,933 |
| Ceased operations | 27 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 99 |
| Closure rate | 1.4% of outlets |
27 ceased operations in 2025; zero terminations recorded; transfers high at 99 suggesting owner exits.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Kona Ice worth it? — how it compares to 59 similar franchises
| Startup cost | from $114,730 | cheaper than most (median $209,354) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade F | less honest than most of the category |
| Closure rate | 1.4% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every bakery, dessert & ice cream franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Kona Ice
The franchisor's framing: No financial performance representations made whatsoever. Zero revenue, gross sales, or ea… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
Kona Ice franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Kona Ice franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $114,730–$228,601, including a $15,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Kona Ice franchise owners make?
- Kona Ice discloses little or no earnings data (Item 19) — meaning the franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. That's a red flag worth questioning.
- What are the Kona Ice franchise fees?
- Kona Ice's FDD discloses a $15,000 initial franchise fee. Royalty is flat dollar ($3K-$5K/yr), not pct of sales; brand fund $1K/yr flat; numerous ancillary fees.
- What is the Kona Ice franchise profit margin?
- Kona Ice discloses no Item 19 earnings representation, so no profit margin can be derived from the FDD at all. Any margin figure quoted elsewhere is an estimate, not a disclosure.
- What is the Kona Ice franchise failure rate?
- 27 ceased operations in 2025; zero terminations recorded; transfers high at 99 suggesting owner exits.
- How many Kona Ice locations are there?
- Kona Ice's FDD reports 1,933 total outlets, with 27 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 99 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Kona Ice have complaints or lawsuits?
- Kona Ice discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a Kona Ice franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Kona Ice scores F on disclosure honesty. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Kona Ice to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 36084-202604-07 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Kona Ice or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.