Mister Softee
Food & Beverage · Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
- Active units
- 594
- Royalty
- $4k / yr
Franchised, year-end 2023
Annual flat fee
About Mister Softee
Mister Softee NorCal brings joy to the San Francisco Bay Area with their delicious soft serve ice cream treats. Offering a variety of options, including sundaes, soda floats, cones, cups, banana boats, and shakes, Mister Softee is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. With their state-of-the-art ice cream truck, they bring the ice cream experience right to your event or party. Weddings, birthday parties, school functions, and even block parties are made even more memorable with the addition of Mister Softee's soft serve. Plus, they are available for indoor events as well. Not only does Mister Softee provide tasty ice cream, but they also offer fundraising opportunities. By hosting Mister Softee at your event, a portion of the sales goes back to your organization. Founded in 1956, Mister Softee has become a beloved brand with over 350 franchisees and 600 ice cream trucks on the road. Finally, it's time to indulge in the timeless joy of Mister Softee in the SF Bay Area!.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$8k
- Brand fund
0.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
0.0% of Net Sales
- Veteran discount
Not offered
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing); filings on file: 2024, 2025, 2026.
Growth
- Total locations601
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings12
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate1.2%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR1.9%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio2.4×
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$341k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open10 months
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
↓ Lower is better - 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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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.