Abbott's Frozen Custard vs Icebox/Soupbox Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Abbott's Frozen Custard vs Icebox/Soupbox including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Abbott's Frozen Custard Franchise
Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
Investment $332,254 - $571,634$69,500 - $174,500
Franchise Fee $37,000$14,000 - $20,000
Royalty Fee 5.5%4%
Advertising Fee 0.19Cents/Gal.-
Year Founded 19021995
Year Franchised 19771998
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee -Negotiable


Business Experience Requirements
 
Abbott's Frozen Custard Franchise
Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
Experience -
  • General business experience
    		•

    Financing Options
     
    Abbott's Frozen Custard Franchise
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
    Equipment No/NoNo/No
    Inventory No/NoNo/No
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    Abbott's Frozen Custard Franchise
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    Training 3 days at Scoop School and 10 days of on-site training at your location, where we teach you everything you need to know to operate and manage an Abbott's Frozen Custard store.-
    Support Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicksCo-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising
    Operations

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 4 - 6

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		 0% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Expansion Plans
     
    Abbott's Frozen Custard Franchise
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesYes

    Company Overviews

    About Abbott's Frozen Custard

    Abbott's Frozen Custard has stood for quality for over 100 years in Upstate New York. Back in the 1920s, people started treating themselves to Abbott's Frozen Custard down at Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario. Today, the company has grown with franchises spreading out in Rochester, Syracuse and New York's Finger Lakes region. No matter where our stores are located, success has come about because our driving principle is to make the best frozen custard on earth .

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of an Abbott’s Frozen Custard franchise is between $332,254 and $571,634. This includes an initial franchise fee of $37,000, and other initial fees of $138,354 to $156,801 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliates for your first Abbott’s Store.
    If you choose to enter into a Development Agreement, you must open a minimum of three stores. The total investment necessary under the Development Agreement is between $996,762 to $1,714,902. This includes $111,000 and other initial fees of $415,062 to $470,403 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliates to open three stores.

    About Icebox/Soupbox

    Before opening his first store, Jamie Taerbaum stood outside a Baskin-Robbins store to figure out how many customers an ice cream store could expect at different times of day, on different days of the week, and in different weather conditions. Armed with this research, the young business school graduate opened the original Icebox/Soupbox store in 1995 in Chicago.

    In the spring and summer, Icebox operates as a retailer of Icyfruit, a mixture of fruit juice, sugar, water and chunks of fruit that comes in 20 flavors. Throughout the fall and winter, it becomes a Soupbox store, offering a wide variety of soups.