Dippin' Dots
Food & Beverage · Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
- Active units
- 260
Franchised, year-end 2024
About Dippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots is the coolest ice cream brand that offers a unique and delightful frozen treat experience. With a history dating back to its foundation, Dippin' Dots has been captivating taste buds for decades. As pioneers in ice cream innovation, Dippin' Dots creates this extraordinary treat by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen, resulting in tiny, colorful beads of ice cream. These dots melt in your mouth, providing a burst of flavor with every bite. Aside from their iconic ice cream, Dippin' Dots offers a wide array of flavors to satisfy every palate. Whether you're craving classics like vanilla and chocolate or adventurous flavors like cotton candy and birthday cake, Dippin' Dots has something for everyone. In addition to their delicious products, Dippin' Dots is committed to quality and social responsibility. They emphasize accessibility, making sure everyone can enjoy their refreshing treats. With affiliations to various organizations and a dedication to their community, Dippin' Dots is a brand that you can feel good about supporting. Join the Dot Crazy! Email Club to stay updated on new flavors, promotions, and recipes. Experience the joy of Dippin' Dots and indulge in a truly unique ice cream experience.
Key terms
- Concurrent Doc Popcorn purchase discount
25% discount off the initial franchise fee if purchasing Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn at the same time
- Brand fund
2.0% of Net Sales
- Veteran discount
15.0% off franchise fee — 15% discount off your initial franchise fee for your initial Dippin’ Dots Franchised Business
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing); filings on file: 2025, 2026.
Growth
- Total locations259
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings14
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate-0.8%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR2.2%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio2.8×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$239k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate—
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
- Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 189 of 215 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.