DoorDashDoorDash
your Territory. You must receive our approval before participating in any online ordering system, whether operated by you or by a third-party delivery aggregator (such as Grubhub, Doordash, or Uber Ea
From the filings
+2.439% units YoY
Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise
Quick service restaurantRalph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise operates 85 units — 84 franchised, 1 company-owned — under a 2026 FDD that makes no financial performance representation. The FDD requires none of the delivery or social platforms it names, but Item 8 locks core frozen-dessert supply to the franchisor's affiliate JMS, which is the real procurement lever for any vendor pitching this brand.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
85
84 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+2.439%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$20K
per unit
Investment range
$112K–$318K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
5%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
FacebookMeta
ding, among other things, the costs of preparing and conducting radio, cable television, print, and Internet-based advertising campaigns; utilizing networking media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, L
GrubhubGrubhub
m inside your Territory. You must receive our approval before participating in any online ordering system, whether operated by you or by a third-party delivery aggregator (such as Grubhub, Doordash, o
LinkedInLinkedIn
hings, the costs of preparing and conducting radio, cable television, print, and Internet-based advertising campaigns; utilizing networking media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and on-lin
TwitterX
g other things, the costs of preparing and conducting radio, cable television, print, and Internet-based advertising campaigns; utilizing networking media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a
Uber EatsUber
y. You must receive our approval before participating in any online ordering system, whether operated by you or by a third-party delivery aggregator (such as Grubhub, Doordash, or Uber Eats). The oper
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
26 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
Your Computer System must be capable of running the Required Software, including bookkeeping, data base functions, and basic cash register functions.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We have the right at any time to remotely retrieve and use this data and information from your Computer System or Required Software that we deem necessary or desirable.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate, JMS, is the only approved supplier for water ice, hard ice cream, and sherbet frozen dessert products.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may from time to time revoke our approval of particular products or suppliers when we determine, in our sole discretion, that such products or suppliers no longer meet our standards.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
8664888Item 8
Based on the sales records of JMS, JMS derived $8,664,888 in revenue from franchisee purchases of frozen dessert products in its fiscal year December 31, 2025.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor or its affiliates may receive rebates, commissions, administrative fees, or other consideration from designated suppliers.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
25Item 8
We estimate that the proportion of your required purchases from JMS to all your purchases of goods and services in establishing the Franchised Business will range from 3% to 10%, and in operating the Franchised Business will range from 25% to 35%.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
A charge not to exceed the reasonable cost of the evaluation and testing must be paid by you or the supplier.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If Franchisee desires to purchase products from a party other than an approved supplier, Franchisee shall submit to Franchisor a written request to approve the proposed supplier, together with such evidence of conformity with Franchisor’s specifications as Franchisor may reasonably require.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
In the event Franchisor does not elect to exercise its option to acquire the lease or sublease for the Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices Shop premises, Franchisee shall make such modifications or alterations to the premises (including, without limitation, the changing of, and the assigning to Franchisor of, the telephone…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor and its designated agents shall have the right at all reasonable times to examine and copy, at Franchisor’s expense, the books, records, accounts and tax returns of Franchisee.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may revise the contents of the Manual, and you must comply with each new or changed standard.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must operate the Franchised Business only at the “Approved Location” set forth in the Franchise Agreement.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Unless otherwise approved in writing by Franchisor, Franchisee shall not establish a separate Website.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
During the two-week time period prior to the initial opening of your Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices Shop, you must spend at least $1,500 on grand opening local advertising and promotion.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
between April 1 and August 30 of each year during the term of this Agreement Franchisee shall spend One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500) on local advertising and promotion.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall offer for sale, and will honor for purchases by customers and otherwise fully participate in, any incentive or convenience programs (including “gift card” programs), or customer loyalty programs, which Franchisor may institute from time to time, and Franchisee shall do so in compliance with…
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If we have established a Cooperative applicable to your Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices Shop at the time you commence operation of your Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices Shop, you must immediately become a member of the Cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate, JMS, is the only approved supplier for water ice, hard ice cream, and sherbet frozen dessert products.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall purchase all food items (including, without limitation, soft-serve mix), ingredients, supplies, materials, and other products and equipment used or offered for sale at the Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices Shop for which Franchisor has established standards or specifications solely from suppliers…
Payments
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall offer for sale, and will honor for purchases by customers and otherwise fully participate in, any incentive or convenience programs (including “gift card” programs), or customer loyalty programs, which Franchisor may institute from time to time, and Franchisee shall do so in compliance with…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 14
You must maintain a competent, conscientious, trained staff, including a manager (unless you are the manager), who has completed the training as we specify in writing.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
(d) use of unapproved or non-compliant uniforms by Franchisee or any employee of Franchisee; and (e) such
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
On Franchisor’s request, Franchisee shall record all sales on a cash register or computer-based point-of-sale record keeping and control system designated by Franchisor, or on any other equipment specified by Franchisor in the Manual or otherwise in writing.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have the right at any time to remotely retrieve and use this data and information from your Computer System or Required Software that we deem necessary or desirable.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 6
You must also attend additional courses, seminars, and other training programs as we may reasonably require from time-to-time.
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
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The vendor opportunity at Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise
Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise runs 85 units — 84 franchised, 1 company-owned — under a 5.0% royalty and a 7-year initial term. Item 19 of the 2026 FDD makes no financial performance representation, but unit count grew 2.4% year over year, with a footprint concentrated in New York (68 units), New Jersey (10), and Connecticut (1).
Who controls software purchasing
Item 2 names President John Scolaro, Vice President Mike Scolaro, and Secretary/Treasurer Larry Silvestro. The FDD does not tie a purchase mandate to any named technology platform, so this leadership team is the direct point of contact for vendor conversations.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats appear in Item 12 as delivery channels, and Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter appear in Item 11 as social platforms. The FDD requires none of the systems it names — every one is listed as market context rather than a purchase obligation.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list, and the franchisor's affiliate JMS holds exclusive status as the approved source for core frozen dessert products — the real lever controlling this brand's supply chain. Franchisees can seek approval for alternative suppliers on other goods. Item 17 renewal runs a 10-year term requiring 9-12 months' notice, a minimum 6,500-gallon JMS purchase history, a $20,000 renewal fee, and a then-current agreement.
How to read the Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise FDD
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. The embedded viewer below covers Items 2, 8, 11, 12, and 17.
Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of quick-service franchises with comparable delivery-channel footprints.
Questions vendors ask
Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise, answered from the filing
President John Scolaro, Vice President Mike Scolaro, and Secretary/Treasurer Larry Silvestro lead the brand. The FDD does not tie a purchase mandate to any named platform, so vendor pitches should route through this leadership team directly.
The FDD requires none of the systems it names — DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats appear as delivery channels in Item 12, and Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter appear as social platforms in Item 11, all without a purchase obligation.
85 total units — 84 franchised, 1 company-owned — up 2.4% year over year, concentrated in New York (68), New Jersey (10), and Connecticut (1).
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list, and the franchisor's affiliate JMS is the sole approved source for core frozen dessert products. Franchisees can request approval for alternative suppliers on other items, which the franchisor will not unreasonably withhold.
Item 17 renewal runs a 10-year term requiring 9-12 months' notice, 6,500 gallons of Frozen Desserts purchased from JMS that season, a $20,000 renewal fee, and a signed then-current agreement. That renewal checkpoint, against a 7-year initial term, is the recurring window for vendor conversations.
The Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. Use the embedded PDF viewer below to review Items 2, 8, 11, 12, and 17 directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
77 operators run 79 mapped locations. 2 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit75
2–9 units2
Top states by locations
| NY | 68 |
|---|---|
| NJ | 10 |
| CT | 1 |
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.