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Every summer, enterprising prospective franchise business owners from sea to shining sea see (and experience) long lines of people at frozen dessert shops in their local area, and ask themselves: “I wonder what it would be like to own an ice cream or frozen yogurt franchise?”
Have you ever thought about becoming the owner of a frozen dessert franchise?
The Dessert of Choice
According to IBIS World, ice cream remains the United States' dessert of choice, as witnessed by the growth of the Ice Cream and Gelato Store Franchise industry from 2013-2018.
Tip: When it comes to choosing a franchise, one of the things you need to look at is the popularity of the main product or service being offered. In this case, ice cream comes in at #1 in the dessert category. The trick is to find an opportunity that offers a great ice cream (or related) product with good territory availability.
Franchise Types
There are several types of frozen dessert franchises available. Like:
Ice Cream Franchises: Ice cream franchises dot the landscape all across America. Franchises in this frozen dessert sector feature some of the most well-known brands around.
These brands offer one of two types of ice cream:
- Soft serve (e.g Dairy Queen®)
- Hard ice cream (e.g. Baskin-Robbins®)
In addition, there are several variations.
Gelato Franchises: According to Wikipedia, “Gelato typically contains 70% less air and more flavoring than other kinds of frozen desserts, giving it a density and richness that distinguishes it from other ice creams.”
While there aren’t a lot of recognizable brand names in this sector, if you’ve ever tasted Gelato, you’ll know why Gelato franchises are popular. Keep your eye on this area of frozen dessert offerings, as there’s a lot of room for growth.
Frozen Custard Franchises: Eggs. That’s what sets frozen custard apart from other frozen desserts.
Like ice cream, frozen custard is made with cream and sugar, but eggs are added to make the dessert denser. In addition, the eggs help the ice cream stay colder, longer, which makes frozen custard the perfect dessert for hot weather.
Shaved Ice: Any outdoor carnival worth its salt has a Shaved Ice stand.
These stands tend to attract young children who love to watch the red or blue sugary syrup get poured over the ice making the perfect summer treat.
When it comes to Shaved Ice franchises, the part I find interesting is the fact that you can be in business with or without a brick and mortar location. For example, you can own a few trucks that travel around to...you guessed it, local carnivals, and serve Shaved Ice all day. Other options you have as a franchisee include trailers, carts and tents.
Frozen Yogurt: This popular category has been around for years.
As a matter of fact, I remember my dad being involved with the local TCBY chain in the early 1980’s. I don’t remember exactly what he did with the franchisor, but I do remember seeing TCBY franchise stores everywhere. Fast-forward to today, and you’ll find that there’s no shortage of brands in this space.
Have you ever looked into a Frozen Yogurt business?
Franchise Costs
The investment for a franchise in the frozen dessert segment has one of the widest swings of any type of franchise business. That’s because there’s more than one way to be a franchisee. You could own a cart, truck, or brick and mortar location.
On the low-end, you can become a franchisee in this sector of franchising for as little as $50,000 to as much as $500,000 or more.
And speaking of money, there’s one thing money can’t buy. It’s all the smiles you’ll create as a franchisee of a frozen dessert franchise business.
The Franchise King®, Joel Libava, is a top franchise expert. He’s written over 2,000 different articles on franchise ownership and personally consults with people who are looking to buy a profitable franchise. Go here to find out how The Franchise King® can help you become your own boss.