What products are sold at a Carvel Shoppe?

According to the 2025 Carvel Franchise Disclosure Document, Carvel Shoppes are retail outlets that primarily sell soft serve ice cream, hand-dipped ice cream, novelties, and ice cream cakes. Carvel emphasizes that their products include ice cream and frozen desserts in unique forms and flavors, setting them apart from other dessert shops. A key differentiator is the ability to custom-shape and decorate these products for various occasions.

Carvel offers different Shoppe formats, including Full Shoppes, Express Shoppes, Hosted Express Shoppes, Ice Cream Trucks, and Cinnabon Co-Branded Shoppes. Each format may offer a slightly different range of Carvel products. For example, an Express Shoppe sells selected Carvel products, while a Full Shoppe sells a full range of Carvel products. A Cinnabon Co-Branded Shoppe sells Carvel products in conjunction with Cinnabon products. A Swirl Shoppe, which is a type of Co-Branded Shoppe, offers traditional Carvel and Cinnabon products, as well as hybrid menu items that combine products and ingredients from both brands.

Prospective franchisees should note that Carvel also sells products to wholesale accounts, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, and to unaffiliated branded restaurants and retail stores. This means that franchisees may face competition from other outlets selling Carvel-branded products. The FDD also mentions that Carvel may sell Carvel-branded products through various channels, including wholesale, non-traditional outlets, mail order, Internet sales, and ghost kitchens, without providing additional compensation to franchisees.