How often does Marble Slab Creamery add a 53rd week to its fiscal year?
Marble_Slab_Creamery Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The Company operates on a 52-week calendar and its fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Consistent with the industry practice, the Company measures its stores' performance based upon 7-day work weeks. Using the 52-week cycle ensures consistent weekly reporting for operations and ensures that each week has the same days, since certain days are more profitable than others. The use of this fiscal year means a 53rd week is added to the fiscal year every 5 or 6 years, as was the case in fiscal year 2023. In a 52-week year, all four quarters are comprised of 13 weeks. In a 53-week year, one extra week is added to the fourth quarter. Fiscal year 2024 was a 52-week year, fiscal year 2023 was a 53-week year, and fiscal year 2022 was a 52-week year.
Source: Item 21 — FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (FDD pages 100–101)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Marble Slab Creamery's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the company operates on a 52-week calendar, with the fiscal year ending on the last Sunday of the calendar year. To maintain consistent weekly reporting, Marble Slab Creamery measures its stores' performance based on 7-day work weeks. This ensures each week has the same days, which is important because certain days are more profitable than others.
To account for the difference between the 52-week cycle and the actual length of a year, Marble Slab Creamery adds a 53rd week to its fiscal year approximately every 5 or 6 years. The 2025 FDD notes that fiscal year 2023 included a 53rd week. In years with only 52 weeks, each of the four quarters consists of 13 weeks. However, during a 53-week year, the extra week is added to the fourth quarter.
For a prospective franchisee, this means that financial performance and reporting may vary slightly in years with 53 weeks compared to regular 52-week years. The addition of an extra week in the fourth quarter could potentially impact revenue and expense figures for that period. Franchisees should be aware of this cycle when analyzing historical financial data and projecting future performance.