FranchiseBudget

Cold Stone Creamery vs Domino's Pizza Franchise Cost 2026

Cold Stone Creamery runs $370K–$640K. Domino's Pizza runs $164K–$536K. The gap at midpoint: $154K.

Cold Stone Creamery

$370K–$640K

total investment

Investment Difference

$154K

Domino's Pizza costs less

Domino's Pizza

$164K–$536K

total investment

Cost Breakdown

Category Cold Stone Creamery Domino's Pizza Lower Cost
Total Investment $370K–$640K $164K–$536K Domino's Pizza
Franchise Fee $27,000 $25,000 Domino's Pizza
Royalty Rate 6.0% 5.5% Domino's Pizza
Ad Fund Fee 3.0% 6.0% Cold Stone Creamery
Net Worth Required $250K $250K Cold Stone Creamery
Liquid Capital $100K $75K Domino's Pizza
Est. Break-Even 39.1 yr 76.2 yr Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery Profile

Category
food
Total Investment
$370K–$640K
Franchise Fee
$27,000
Royalty
6.0%
Est. Annual Revenue
$430K
Full Cold Stone Creamery Cost Breakdown →

Domino's Pizza Profile

Category
food
Total Investment
$164K–$536K
Franchise Fee
$25,000
Royalty
5.5%
Est. Annual Revenue
$920K
Full Domino's Pizza Cost Breakdown →

Bottom Line

Domino's Pizza costs $154K less to open at the midpoint. That difference goes toward working capital or a second location. Domino's Pizza also wins on royalty rate.