Food Franchises Under $100K (2026): The Ones That Actually Qualify

Four brands have formats whose disclosed total initial investment starts below $100,000: Frios, Cinnabon, Rita’s, and Wetzel’s Pretzels. The table separates ranges that stay at or below the ceiling from ranges that cross it. Some entries are add-ons to another business, not standalone openings.

Every investment figure below comes from the brand’s FDD Item 7 or its own franchise page, with the issuance or check date stated. No listing-site figures are used. FDD copies are hosted by Restaurant Finance Monitor; the issuance date printed in each document controls, not the year in its filename.

Brand	Format	Total investment (Item 7)	Whole range under $100K?	Source and notes
Whole range at or under $100,000
Frios Gourmet Pops	Sweet Ride Van, single territory	$76,615–$99,154	Yes	FDD issued April 29, 2026. Initial franchise fee $37,500. Vehicle estimate includes a $10,000 down payment and first three months of financing installments.
Frios Gourmet Pops	Three Nelson Carts, single territory	$77,500–$100,000	Yes, at the ceiling	FDD issued April 29, 2026. The format requires “three Nelson Carts,” not one cart. Initial franchise fee $37,500.
Cinnabon	Express Bakery in a new Schlotzsky’s restaurant	$29,250–$66,900	Yes	FDD issued March 27, 2026. Host-specific: “in a new Schlotzsky’s restaurant.” This is the Express Bakery estimate, not a budget to open both brands.
Starts under $100,000, top above it
Frios Gourmet Pops	Happiness Hauler Trailer, single territory	$64,548–$109,917	No	FDD issued April 29, 2026. Initial franchise fee $37,500. The single territory covers a population of up to 150,000.
Frios Gourmet Pops	Multiple territories	$92,048–$219,917	No	FDD issued April 29, 2026. “Two Territories to five Territories”; initial franchise fees $65,000–$147,500. One van, trailer, or three carts serves the first two; a third territory requires additional equipment.
Cinnabon	Express Bakery in any other location	$70,850–$191,950	No	FDD issued March 27, 2026. The FDD’s “any other location” range is separate from the new-Schlotzsky’s option.
Rita’s Italian Ice	Mobile Unit supported by a Standard Shop	$16,500–$180,000	No	FDD issued January 30, 2026. Not offered to anyone who “does not operate a Standard Shop” or is not in full compliance. Mobile unit initial franchise fee $5,000, subject to proration for a shorter remaining agreement term.
Wetzel’s Pretzels	Remote Mobile Unit attached to a Bakery	$73,300–$147,000	No	FDD issued March 27, 2026. Requires landlord agreement and a license in the “same shopping center or mall where your Bakery is located.” Remote Mobile Unit Fee $5,000; unavailable with a Concession Truck or Trailer.

Under $100K is the franchisor's number; build yours

Our free startup-cost worksheet follows the Item 7 rows (fee, equipment, vehicle or kiosk, inventory, additional funds), so you can replace estimates with quotes. Plus the due-diligence kit.

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For readers looking specifically for fast food, Wetzel’s pretzel unit is the table’s quick-service snack-food option rather than a dessert or drink concept, based on the FDD’s description of its soft-pretzel business; it still requires a parent Bakery.

The food franchises under $25K guide explains the tighter budget tier. For meal-oriented alternatives, compare the cheapest pizza franchises using their full investment ranges. Use the franchise affordability calculator to work from available cash rather than a franchise-fee headline.

Checked, but starts above $100,000

These are the lowest Item 7 formats in the other supplied FDDs. Official-page figures are labeled separately.

• Auntie Anne’s: Concession Shop, trailer, $115,225–$261,800, per FDD issued March 27, 2026, Item 7. Concession Shops are offered only to qualifying existing franchisees.
• Bahama Buck’s: one store, $539,550–$1,190,500, per FDD issued July 16, 2025, Item 7.
• Jamba: Non-Traditional Store, $249,025–$825,200, per FDD issued March 27, 2026.
• Kona Ice: single mobile business, $114,730–$228,601, per FDD issued April 20, 2026. Additional equipment for existing franchisees is not a separate startup total.
• Mrs. Fields: Kiosk, $186,860–$288,310, per FDD issued June 11, 2026.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes: Bakery prototype at or below 1,800 square feet, $475,200–$994,100, per FDD issued April 30, 2026, amended May 26, 2026.
• Philly Pretzel Factory: Non-Traditional Oven-Ready Factory, $176,141–$358,120, per FDD issued April 30, 2026.
• Smoothie King: end-cap or in-line location, $329,850–$683,715, per FDD issued April 8, 2026.
• TCBY: Kiosk, $133,400–$283,350, per FDD issued June 9, 2026.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: end-cap or in-line location, $275,500–$770,500, per FDD issued April 17, 2026, amended June 10, 2026.
• Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream: published “Current Development Cost Range” $115,950–$284,000, on its live franchising page, checked October 11, 2026. The page lists Retail Store, Retail / Mobile, and Mobile Catering without splitting that range by model.
• Nathan’s Famous: Nathan’s Express, 500 to 900 square feet, $277,000–$660,000, on its restaurant types page, checked September 29, 2026.
• Dippin’ Dots / Doc Popcorn: co-brand, $119,704–$366,950, on the official franchising FAQ, checked October 1, 2026.

Chester’s publishes no figure: its franchise page and 8-page franchise brochure state no franchise fee, investment range, or royalty as of September 29, 2026. Request the FDD before assigning it a budget tier.

Keep fees and qualification requirements separate from those totals. Sub Zero’s live page, checked October 11, 2026, lists a $20,000–$35,000 franchise fee (Mobile $20,000; Store $35,000) and liquid assets of $100,000. Nathan’s criteria and process page lists a $30,000 franchise fee and a royalty of 5.5% of annual gross sales, checked September 29, 2026.

Dippin’ Dots’ Ideal Candidate page, checked October 1, 2026, gives an unlabeled $112,204–$366,950 total, minimum liquid capital of $100,000, and minimum net worth of $300,000. Its FAQ states a $56,000 co-brand fee after a discount on the second agreement. Its FDD issued April 16, 2026, Item 5, instead describes a 25% discount on both initial fees for a simultaneous Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn purchase, and lists Dippin’ Dots fees of $35,000 Territory, $15,000 Store Only, and $25,000 Distribution. Keep those differing disclosures separate; neither official-page investment range starts below $100,000.

Why every list disagrees with every other list

A low starting figure is not a ceiling. Rita’s Mobile Unit starts at $16,500 but reaches $180,000 in its January 30, 2026 FDD. Its Standard Shop prerequisite also changes what that figure means for a new buyer. The cheapest food franchise mistakes guide covers this distinction between a fee, an add-on, and a complete startup.

Marketing pages can disagree with the FDD. Frios’ costs page says investment “typically falls between $62,925 and $93,775.” Its home page says “a low investment of under $65k” and “territories still available starting at under $41,000” (both checked October 11, 2026). Those figures differ from each other and from its April 29, 2026 disclosure. The FDD governs the investment figures used here.

The date and the specific table matter. The hosted filenames end in “2025,” but most of these documents were issued in 2026. There are also cover-to-table differences: Auntie Anne’s cover quotes $118,225–$367,300 for Concession Shops, while Item 7 separately quotes the trailer range above. Bahama Buck’s cover ends its one-store range at $1,190,550; Item 7 prints $1,190,500. The checked list uses each format’s Item 7 total without silently changing either document.

For format-specific comparisons, see the food truck franchise guide and bakery franchise cost guide.

What sits inside Frios’ van estimate

These are the Sweet Ride Van, single-territory rows in Frios’ FDD issued April 29, 2026, Item 7. The initial franchise fee is $37,500 for a territory with a population of up to 150,000, per Item 5.

Item 7 expenditure	Amount
Initial Franchise Fee	$37,500
Sweet Ride Van, Wrap, and Equipment	$15,115–$16,654
Rent/Storage, Three Months	$0–$4,500
Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System	$300–$1,500
Grand Opening Marketing	$6,000
Initial Starter Pack	$5,500–$6,500
Insurance Deposits, Three Months	$1,000–$2,000
Travel for Initial Training	$750–$1,500
Professional Fees	$250–$2,500
Licenses and Permits	$200–$500
Additional Funds, Three Months	$10,000–$20,000
Total Estimate	$76,615–$99,154

The vehicle row assumes a new, configured van from a designated supplier with a $10,000 down payment and the first three months of financing installments. It is not the full vehicle purchase price. The additional-funds note excludes owner compensation and warns that more working capital may be needed. The Item 7 explainer shows how to read those assumptions alongside the total.

Questions to ask before you take any of these numbers at face value

• Which format and filing apply to this offer? Match the cover issuance date, Item 5 fee, and Item 7 table to the proposed agreement.
• Is the low-cost format available to a new buyer? Confirm any existing-shop requirement, host-brand condition, landlord consent, or multiple-territory obligation before treating an add-on budget as a startup budget.
• Which costs assume financing? Request cash-purchase and financing quotes for the same assets. Include payments beyond the period modeled in Item 7.
• What do the additional funds cover? Check the stated period and exclusions, including owner compensation. Replace the estimates with quotes and a cash-flow budget for the actual business.
• What supports the revenue assumptions? Review any Item 19 representation and the contacts disclosed in Item 20 before judging whether the budget can sustain operations.

Use the food franchise vertical cost comparison to compare across categories.

Use how to read an FDD for the full document review and the editorial methodology for this site’s sourcing standards. For a delivery-only or menu-license format, see the ghost kitchen franchise cost guide.