FDD ITEM 20 · FISCAL 2021–2025
Cold Stone Creamery Item 20: outlets, exits & growth
In its latest FDD Item 20 (fiscal 2025, from the 2026 FDD), Cold Stone Creamery reported 1,052 franchised outlets at year end. 3 of 992 franchised outlets open at the start of the year left the system (exit rate 0.3%, fiscal 2025), while 63 new outlets opened. Systemwide units moved +17.9% over 2021–2025.
| Status (FTC) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlets at start | 882 | 894 | 912 | 953 | 994 |
| Opened | 18 | 27 | 49 | 52 | 63 |
| Transfers | 82 | 83 | 79 | 62 | 79 |
| Terminations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-renewals | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Reacquired by franchisor | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ceased — other reasons | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Outlets at end | 894 | 912 | 953 | 994 | 1,054 |
| Net change | +12 | +18 | +41 | +41 | +60 |
0 terminations + 2 non-renewals + 1 ceased (other) = 3 exits ÷ 992 at start = 0.3%
These are the three FTC Item 20 statuses in which a franchised outlet left the system — including voluntary non-renewals and outlets that ceased for other reasons, which can include sales or absorption into another franchise. Transfers (79) are resales, not exits; reacquisitions by the franchisor (0) are tracked separately. There is no official “failure rate”, and not every exit is a closure or a failure; Item 20 does not say why any outlet left. On a small starting base, a single exit moves this rate sharply.
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