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Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is an ice cream franchise serving fresh-made ice cream, frozen yogurt and other frozen treats through over 200 franchised locations.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is an established frozen dessert franchise built around ice cream made fresh at each location. Founded in 1989 and franchising since 1993, the brand has grown to more than 200 franchised locations. Bruster’s offers free-standing and end-cap store models and emphasizes product quality, customer service and community involvement.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream was founded in 1989 by Bruce Reed in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania. Reed grew up around the restaurant business after his father, Jerry Reed, opened Jerry’s Curb Service in Bridgewater in 1947 following his service in the U.S. Air Force.
Bruce Reed wanted to develop a complementary business on land next to his family’s restaurant. He created his own ice cream recipe and opened the first Bruster’s for his sister to operate. The concept gained a local following, and Reed began franchising the business to friends and family in 1993 before expanding the brand more broadly.
Bruster’s continues to center its business around fresh-made products, generous portions, customer service and neighborhood connections.
Mission: Bruster’s seeks to provide high-quality, fresh-made ice cream while creating a welcoming place where customers can celebrate, connect and make memories.
Vision: To provide more ice cream to more people in more places while maintaining its standards for product quality, service and community involvement.
Bruster’s is seeking new franchisees in markets across the United States. Prospective owners can contact the franchise development team to determine whether their preferred market is available.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Bruster’s Real Ice Cream franchise ranges from $414,900 to $1,244,700 for an end-cap location and $1,215,120 to $2,669,060 for a free-standing location. The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
Type of Expenditure | End-Cap | Free-Standing | ||
Min | Max | Min | Max | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $20,000 | $40,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| Land Purchase | N/A | N/A | $275,000 | $750,000 |
| Lease | $11,200 | $41,600 | N/A | N/A |
| Utility Deposit | $500 | $1,000 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Architect Fees | $7,500 | $17,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 |
| Civil Engineering | N/A | N/A | $20,000 | $60,000 |
| Site Development Costs | N/A | N/A | $375,000 | $637,000 |
| Construction Costs | $267,200 | $633,600 | $406,120 | $735,560 |
| Expenses for Initial Training | $3,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Business Licenses & Permits | $500 | $2,500 | $500 | $2,500 |
| Business Insurance | $5,000 | $7,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| Initial Inventory | $12,500 | $18,000 | $12,500 | $18,000 |
| Computer Hardware & Software | $26,000 | $68,000 | $26,000 | $68,000 |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $25,000 | $216,000 | $25,000 | $216,000 |
| Signage | $7,000 | $30,000 | $7,000 | $40,000 |
| Grand Opening Marketing Program | $7,000 | $10,000 | $7,000 | $10,000 |
| Professional Fees | $2,500 | $10,000 | $2,500 | $10,000 |
| Post-Opening Support | $0 | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $20,000 | $40,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: The initial franchise fee is $40,000 and is due upon signing the franchise agreement.
Bruster’s offers a 50% discount, reducing the fee to $20,000, for additional franchise agreements and qualified U.S. military veterans through VetFran.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2026 FDD, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty | 5% gross sales/week |
| Marketing Fund Contribution | 3% gross sales/week |
| Management | 6% of gross sales/week, plus direct out-of-pocket costs and expenses. |
ROI Potential: According to the 2026 FDD, 183 franchised Bruster’s stores that were open and operating a standard seven-day schedule for at least 358 days in 2025 reported the following average unit volume (AUV) figures:
Average | Median | High | Low |
$746,650 | $685,840 | $2,421,735 | $157,586 |
Bruster’s provides assistance before a franchisee opens a store, beginning with market and site selection. The company offers strategic in-market site selection and works with franchisees on store design and buildout.
Franchisees can choose between free-standing and end-cap models. Both are designed around Bruster’s walk-up window format and can accommodate outdoor seating. Drive-thrus are encouraged when a suitable site allows for one, while alternative designs are available for colder climates.
Bruster’s also provides an all-inclusive grand opening plan to help franchisees prepare to introduce the business to their local market.
Bruster’s provides comprehensive onboarding and ongoing training designed for both experienced business owners and franchisees transitioning from corporate careers or other industries.
Training covers the operating system needed to run the business, including product preparation, customer service, store operations, employee leadership and brand standards. Franchisees also have access to experienced corporate leaders and other Bruster’s franchise owners who can share operating practices and lessons learned.
Ongoing support includes operations guidance, marketing, performance analysis and access to the corporate leadership team.
Bruster’s provides franchisees with established operating manuals, responsive operational support, national marketing programs and data-driven analytics. The franchise system also encourages collaboration among franchise owners, giving newer operators access to owners who have spent decades with the brand.
Local community involvement is another component of the model. Franchisees can sponsor youth sports teams, conduct fundraisers for schools and churches and participate in other community activities.
Bruster’s provides data-driven performance analytics and advanced marketing initiatives designed to help franchisees monitor and grow their businesses. The brand also uses established operating systems and manuals to maintain consistency across the franchise system.
End-Cap Store
Free-Standing Store
Bruster’s franchise candidate profile states that college education or higher is preferred. The brand also looks for candidates with business, marketing and/or financial experience and considers both single- and multi-unit operators.
Helpful experience includes business management, financial and marketing knowledge, employee development, customer service, communication, decision-making and leadership.
Bruster’s describes franchise owners as brand ambassadors who are expected to follow the company’s operating system, deliver strong customer service, maintain product standards, lead employees and build relationships within their communities.
The role includes mentoring and managing a workforce that often includes teenagers and young adults, many of whom may be working their first jobs.
Bruster’s offers both owner-operator and semi-absentee ownership options. While semi-absentee franchisees do not have to work in the store every day, the brand expects owners to remain engaged in the business. Bruster’s point-of-sale technology also allows franchisees to monitor their operations remotely.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream does not offer direct or indirect financing for franchisees.
“The beauty of it is the corporate-to-franchisee relationship, and also the franchisee-to-franchisee relationship. I travel to other stores just to see how they’re doing and to get ideas. It’s a very good working atmosphere. Everybody works together. If they need anything, they call me. If I need anything, I call them. We just work hand in hand. No franchise is stronger than its weakest link. I’ve never felt any competition from anybody.”
- Robert Alford, Franchisee — Bowling Green, Kentucky (Read his story here)
The global ice cream market is on a steady growth path, valued at about $121.4 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $169.4 billion by 2033. Much of this expansion is being fueled by premiumization, experiential concepts and clean-label offerings that appeal to shifting consumer preferences.
In the United States, demand remains resilient, with per-capita consumption averaging over five gallons per year. The sector continues to thrive through innovation and consumer demand for indulgent and customizable desserts. Specialty formats, such as nitrogen ice cream, are carving out a space in the broader frozen dessert category by offering both novelty and quality.
Bruster’s differentiates itself through ice cream made fresh at each store, its proprietary dairy mix, a large recipe library and a business model developed over more than three decades. Local owners also have some flexibility in selecting which flavors to offer based on demand in their market.
Primary competitors include Baskin-Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, Kilwins, Dairy Queen and other regional and independent ice cream concepts.
Bruster’s outlines a six-step discovery process designed to give both the prospective franchisee and franchisor time to determine whether the relationship is a good fit.
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