Franchise Deep Dive: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

Brand overview

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is a frozen dessert franchise brand that specializes in serving Italian ice, soft-serve ice cream and gelati. Its first location was in Winter Park, Florida, and founded by Jeremy Litwack in 1996. The soon-to-be founder had already been selling Italian ice since 1988 in front of the U.S. Mint building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before moving to the Sunshine State.

When Jeremiah’s Italian Ice started offering franchise opportunities in 2019, the brand received several awards — “Best Franchise to Buy” by Franchise Times; and numerous awards from Entrepreneur magazine, including “Fastest Growing Franchise” and “Top New and Emerging Franchise.”

As of September 2023, there are more than 125 open Jeremiah’s Italian Ice locations across the U.S., and more than 300 additional franchises awarded or in development. The brand is actively offering new franchise opportunities nationwide.

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice claims to have a low-cost build-out with a high return on investment. The concept, which is designed to fit into shops of all sizes and starts as small as 175 square feet, also has in-store production for its Italian ice and frozen treats, which keeps costs low for its franchise owners. As such, the brand says its franchisees can see a gross profit of up to 48% after the costs of goods and labor.

Additionally, franchisees can benefit from multiple revenue streams, as the brand also offers catering and pre-packaged products.

Franchise opportunities

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice has two franchise opportunities available:

• Traditional Opportunity

The traditional opportunity usually sits at about 800 to 1,400 square feet, and can come in site build-outs such as a drive-thru, inline mode and a free-standing location.

• Non-Traditional Opportunity

The non-traditional opportunity has a smaller store size at about 175 to 250 square feet. They can be found in airports, travel centers, convenience stores, colleges, sports and entertainment venues, big box retail stores, and government offices.

According to the brand’s consumer-facing website, the average net sales of a traditional Jeremiah’s Italian Ice franchise in 2022 were $576,482. The average unit volume for a non-traditional location was $290,657.

Investment and fees

The investment required to open a Jeremiah’s Italian Ice franchise varies based on whether it’s a traditional location or a non-traditional location.

The initial investment required to open a traditional franchise ranges from $324,567 to $696K. Franchisees will also be required to pay an ongoing 6% royalty fee, as well as a 4.5% marketing contribution. Interested candidates must also have at least $120K in liquid capital and a minimum net worth of $250K.

The cost to open a non-traditional location ranges from $102,800 to $253,783. Franchisees must also meet the same financial requirements of those looking to open a traditional location, and will still be required to pay the 6% royalty fee and the 4.5% marketing contribution.

The franchise fee to open a traditional location is $35K, while the fee to open a non-traditional Jeremiah’s Italian Ice franchise is $15K. The brand also offers a 20% discount on its franchise fee for active-duty service members, first responders and qualified U.S. military veterans.

• Jeremy — Litwack Founder

• Michael Keller — CEO

• Nicole Di Pietro — Vice President

• Devin Schneider — Director of Brand Development

• Adam Hing — Director of Supply Chain

• Lindsay Hanna — Brand Experience Manager

• Lindsey Bouyelas — Marketing and Operations Director

• Casey Cooley — Franchise Development Executive

• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice plans to triple its units through franchising

• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Named One of 2023’s Top New and Emerging Franchises by Entrepreneur

• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Anticipates a 47% YOY Increase in New Units by End of Year After a Successful Q1 and Q2

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