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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a 16 Handles Franchise

16 Handles is a self-serve frozen yogurt and frozen dessert franchise founded in 2008 in New York City’s East Village. Guests build their own cups from 16 rotating flavors: frozen yogurt, all-natural ice cream, oat milk and other plant-based soft serves, sorbets and smoothies, paired with more than 50 toppings and priced by weight. Monthly limited-edition flavors and grab-and-go items such as cookie dough and branded merchandise round out the menu.

The brand is operator-led rather than private-equity owned. Neil Hershman, a former 16 Handles franchisee who still owns and runs several New York City stores, acquired the company in 2022 and now serves as CEO, leading a national expansion and refresh of the concept. The system is headquartered in New York and is entirely franchisee-owned, with no corporate-operated locations.

Stores typically occupy around 1,500-square-foot in-line units with seating for 25 or more, positioned as a neighborhood gathering spot for families, students and local teams. The model is built around a low-labor self-serve format and premium “affordable luxury” positioning, supported by a loyalty app, proprietary products and a national supply network.

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Why buy a 16 Handles Franchise?

16 Handles is credited with leading the resurgence of self-serve frozen yogurt, and its modern, cafe-style stores are designed to read more like a contemporary coffeehouse than a dated froyo shop. For a buyer, the appeal is a recognized dessert brand in a category with steady family and repeat-visit demand, kept current by constant flavor innovation.

The self-serve format keeps labor requirements low and is straightforward to run, while national buying power and a single streamlined distribution network simplify supply. Franchisees benefit from negotiated rates with technology and delivery partners, including Uber Eats and DoorDash, and from a brand that is franchisee-owned throughout, with no corporate stores competing against the network. Current leadership’s own New York stores serve as the testing ground for the systems franchisees use.

16 Handles Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2008

    • Franchising Since

      2010

    • New Startup Cost

      $249,500 – $663,500

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $30,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      50%

      of then-current Initial Franchise Fee; 25% to existing franchisee

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      37

    • New Units Opened *

      8

    • Units Transferred *

      1

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $847,587

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

16 Handles – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Initial training runs to 28.5 hours of classroom instruction and 81.5 hours of hands-on, in-store training, delivered at an established location under VP of Operations and Training Lisa Mallon, with a Discovery Day during recruitment. Owners gain an operations manual, an online brand portal, proprietary products through a national distribution network, and a loyalty app, plus ongoing marketing, seasonal flavor launches and negotiated rates with delivery partners such as Uber Eats and DoorDash. Resale buyers should confirm with 16 Handles what transfer training and brand-portal access carry over to a new owner.

  2. Ideal Owner

    16 Handles suits hands-on, community-minded operators who enjoy hospitality and want a visible role in their local market. Prior food or franchise experience is not required, but owners should be comfortable hiring and managing a small hourly team, maintaining day-to-day store standards and driving grassroots marketing such as school events, team nights and neighborhood partnerships that build repeat traffic. The self-serve model rewards operators focused on customer experience, cleanliness and consistency rather than complex food preparation, and can appeal to multi-unit developers planning to grow across a territory.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    16 Handles has earned strong media recognition during its national relaunch, with 2025 coverage in The New York Times, CNBC, Entrepreneur, Fortune, Bloomberg and Franchise Times, and it is widely credited with leading the resurgence of frozen yogurt. The brand was named a Best of Manhattan Award winner for frozen yogurt from 2016 to 2020 and has been featured in QSR Magazine for its category momentum. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific unit's local reviews, referral sources and community standing.

  4. Industry / Market

    16 Handles operates in the US frozen dessert market, estimated at around $21.7 billion in 2025 and projected to reach roughly $49 billion by 2033 (Grand View Research). Demand is supported by year-round treat and snacking occasions, growing interest in better-for-you and plant-based options such as oat milk and high-protein soft serve, and the social, customizable appeal of self-serve formats with families and younger consumers. Sales tend to be seasonal, peaking in warmer months, so buyers should review a unit's year-round traffic patterns and local competition.

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