Millie's

Frozen Yogurt / Ice Cream

Millie's Homemade Ice Cream is a values-driven brand founded on authenticity, quality ingredients, and meaningful connections, crafting thoughtfully sourced, homemade ice cream served through a growing network of scoop shops, trucks, and franchise partners.

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Millie's

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Millie's Franchise Cost and Requirements for 2026

Millie's Makes Moments - because we believe that the sweetest things in life are made of real connections, real quality, and real joy. From the cow to the cone, we work with trusted partners to craft every scoop - and every moment - to make your day.

Millie's Homemade Ice Cream was founded by husband and wife team Chad and Lauren Townsend in 2014 when Chad - after spending over a decade honing his skills as a chef around Pittsburgh and abroad - decided to fill what he saw as a gaping hole in Pittsburgh's food scene: a shop offering real, homemade ice creams, made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients and served up in a warm & friendly way. Thus, Millie's was born in the Townsends' home and has since grown from a small kitchen-counter operation to now include a factory in Homestead, PA, as well as several scoop shop locations and ice cream trucks on the East Coast, many owned and operated by franchise partners.

We believe authenticity is key to our success, and this authenticity must not only completely encompass our product, but reach beyond it. By upholding our relationships as the keystone of everything that we do - from sourcing heritage breed dairy, to finding local purveyors of sustainably sourced ingredients, to collaborating with like-minded regional organizations, to seeking out and supporting artisanal vendors and partners, to paying all of our associates a competitive living wage Millie's strives to craft every scoop and every moment to make your day.

Established: 2014
First Unit Franchised: 2021
Franchised Units: 12
Company Owned Units: 5
States Registered In: Alabama - AL, Arizona - AZ, Arkansas - AR, Connecticut - CT, Colorado - CO, Delaware - DE, Florida - FL, Indiana - IN, Idaho - ID, Iowa - IA, Kansas - KS, Kentucky - KY, Michigan - MI, Massachusetts - MA, Maryland - MD, Mississippi - MS, Minnesota - MN, Missouri - MO, Montana - MT, Nebraska - NE, Nevada - NV, New Hampshire - NH, New Jersey - NJ, New Mexico - NM, New York - NY, North Carolina - NC, Ohio - OH, Oklahoma - OK, Oregon - OR, Pennsylvania - PA, South Carolina - SC, Tennessee - TN, Texas - TX, Virginia - VA, Vermont - VT, West Virginia - WV, Wisconsin - WI, Wyoming - WY
Canada Franchises: No
International Franchises: No

Financial Assistance Provided: No

Site Selection Assistance: Yes

Lease Negotiation Assistance: Yes

Recruiting Assistance: Yes

Co-operative Advertising: No

Training:
Total training program: 104 (58 virtual vs 46 on-the-job)

1 day of on-the-job training in Pittsburgh or another certified Zee training location

5 days of on-the-job location at your Shop prior to opening

Training includes local marketing playbook plus 90-day grand opening plan

Training is led by a Millie's HQ onboarding specialist

Training program includes PowerPoints, videos, and our internal app

What does a Millie's Franchise Cost?

Millie's franchise fees for 2026:

Cash Investment: $100,000
Total Investment: $253,500 - $556,500
Minimum Net Worth: $500,000
Single Unit Franchise Fee: $50,000
Franchise Fee for Each Additional Unit: NA
Royalty: 5.50%
Ad Fee: Up to 2% of Net Sales; currently not collecting
Other Fees: NA
Average Number of Employees at Start/at Maturity: 3
Item 19: Yes
Visa Candidates: No
Passive Ownership: No
Semi-Passive Ownership: No
Home-Based: No
B2B: No
Master Franchise Opportunities: No
Veteran Discount: Yes

Is Millie's a Semi Absentee Franchise with a Passive Ownership Opportunity?

No. Millie's is not a semi absentee franchise. The owner of the franchise (the franchisee) is expected to be involved in all aspects of day-to-day operations.

Is Millie's a Home Based franchise?

No. Millie's is not a home based franchise opportunity.

What Do Millie's Franchise Owners Make?

Click here to find out how much Millie's franchisees make. Millie's offers an Item 19 in their Franchise Disclosure Document which provides financial information about select franchisees in their franchise system.

Is Millie's a Master Franchise Opportunity?

No. Millie's is not a master franchise opportunity.

Does Millie's Offer a Veteran Discount?

Yes. Millie's franchise does offer a veteran discount.

Does Millie's Work with E2 Visa and EB-5 Visa Candidates?

No. Millie's franchise does not work with E2 Visa and EB-5 Visa candidates.

Is Millie's Looking for Franchisees in Canada?

No. Millie's franchise is not looking for Canada franchisees.

Is Millie's Looking for International franchisees?

No. Millie's franchise is not looking for International franchisees.

Where can I see Millie's's FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document)?

Buying a Franchise Guide: What is a Franchise Disclosure Document?

When evaluating a franchise opportunity, reading and understanding the current version of their FDD is a necessity. Considering the benefits of franchising, such as established brand recognition and support from the franchisor, it's important to also take into account franchise fees and franchising royalty fees. Since most franchisors are privately owned companies, the current versions of their FDDs are typically not available unless requested directly from them.

Click here to connect with a Franchise Consultant who can help you obtain a copy quickly and for free. They can also guide you through the essential franchise questions to ask, ensuring you make a well-informed decision about your investment.

Additional Categories

Frozen Yogurt / Ice Cream

Number of Units Open

LESS THAN 20 UNITS

Cash Required

$50,000 - $100,000

Master Franchise

Passive Franchise

Home Based Franchise

Item 19 Franchise

Yes

Veteran Discount

Yes

B2B

Franchise Opportunities in Canada

International Franchise Opportunities

E2 Visa Franchise

Click Here to inquire about existing Millie's franchises for sale. We may have Millie's franchise resales. A franchise resale is an already established franchise owned by a franchisee and the franchisee is looking to sell their franchise.

The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) is an internationally recognized membership-based franchise organization. IFPG Franchise Consultants guide aspiring business owners through the process of identifying and investing in franchise businesses. The IFPG represents more than 550 franchises. We do not represent all franchises listed here. By clicking on "Request a Consultation," you are agreeing to be contacted by one of our Certified Franchise Consultants to discuss franchise ownership.

About our rankings: The IFPG uses its internal data collected from our membership portal to identify which franchises had the most activity in the past week. This ranking system is not based on franchise sales, franchisee success rates or number of units open. Our ranking system should not be used to make a decision on which franchise to buy it was solely created for internal purposes and for our IFPG Members.

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Red Boswell, President

Millie's Franchise Cost and Requirements for 2026

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