Start-up cost
$20,000-$100,000
Ice cream shop start-up $20,000-$100,000 (StartCosts, 2026, single-source vendor estimate). Source: StartCosts, industry start-up cost guides, 2026. Lab cost band: $5K to $100K.
This is one source. Treat it as a starting figure, not a quote, and get local prices before you spend.
The field in numbers
These are Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for the wider field, not for this business alone.
Industry (Census)
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (NAICS 722515)
Solo owners in the wider field
166,785 (Restaurants and Other Eating Places)
Solo owners in this exact industry
22,060
Average gross sales per solo owner
$55,973 a year, before costs (gross sales, not profit)
Still open after 1, 2, 5, 10 years
82.5%, 72.5%, 55.3%, 38.2% (all businesses in the sector, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Related businesses in the Lab
Does it fit you?
The Startup Lab asks a few plain questions about your money, time and what you like doing, then narrows 910 businesses to the few that fit. The $10 report on this business adds itemized costs, your county’s numbers and Groundwork Alumni access.
