Franchise Facts Report → compare → Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness
Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness
Two other franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $300,000 – $720,500 | $293,233 – $768,992 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $35,000 | — |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 6% | 6.5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | disclosed (not machine-read) | disclosed (not machine-read) |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 1,371 | 546 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +174 | +18 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 0.4% | — |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | disclosed | disclosed |
| Risk level our read | Low | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2024 |
Are Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness the same company?
No — Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness are franchised by separate companies. Tropical Smoothie Cafe's franchisor is TSC Franchisor, LLC; Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness's is RITA'S FRANCHISE COMPANY, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $300,000 – $720,500, against $293,233 – $768,992 for Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD (Item 19).
Closures & failure rate
Tropical Smoothie Cafe reports 1,371 franchised outlets, net change +174 in the latest reported year, a 0.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness reports 546 franchised outlets, net change +18 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate.
Litigation
Tropical Smoothie Cafe discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (each case is described there). Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (each case is described there).
Deciding between Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness?
See what else fits before you choose. Tell us your budget and state and we'll send you the 5–10 other franchises (or any industries you pick) with the strongest FDD record for it.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness — frequently asked
Are Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness the same company?
No — Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness are franchised by separate companies. Tropical Smoothie Cafe's franchisor is TSC Franchisor, LLC; Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness's is RITA'S FRANCHISE COMPANY, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness are other franchises from different franchisors (TSC Franchisor, LLC and RITA'S FRANCHISE COMPANY, LLC). Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $300,000 – $720,500, against $293,233 – $768,992 for Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD (Item 19).
Is Tropical Smoothie Cafe more profitable than Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD (Item 19).
Which is cheaper to open — Tropical Smoothie Cafe or Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $300,000 – $720,500, against $293,233 – $768,992 for Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness.
Is Tropical Smoothie Cafe or Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness growing faster?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe reports 1,371 franchised outlets, net change +174 in the latest reported year, a 0.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness reports 546 franchised outlets, net change +18 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20).
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Other rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Tropical Smoothie Cafe 2024, Rita's Ice-Custard-Happiness 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.