Smoothie King vs 16 Handles Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Smoothie King vs 16 Handles including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$269,550 - $845,985 | $274,500 - $735,000 |
Franchise Fee |
$30,000 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee |
6% | 6% |
Advertising Fee |
3% | 2% |
Year Founded |
1987 | 2008 |
Year Franchised |
1988 | 2010 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 10 years |
Renewal Fee |
- | 10% of the then franchise fee |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
General business experience Marketing skills | Experienced business people, franchisees, and multi-unit operators |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | No/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Equipment |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Inventory |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | -/- |
Payroll |
No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
Training |
- | 2 Weeks of training at one of our corporate training stores in NYC
1 Week of on site training support by one of our Operations Specialists |
Support |
Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | As a 16 Handles franchise owner, you will receive full support services every step of the way. Through informative, on-site visits and a comprehensive, confidential operations manual, you will be assisted in all the critical areas, including but not limited to: site selection, building design, initial equipment purchases, hiring, management, food ordering and marketing. And you will have ongoing support from our experienced corporate team to guide you through building your business, controlling your costs and running your business efficiently all the way from post-deposit through grand opening and beyond. |
Marketing |
Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media | - |
Operations |
60% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6
- 9
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (75% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | A Franchise Business Consultant will be assigned to your store to assist with all business operations |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | - |
International Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Smoothie King
When visits to various doctors did little to relieve the allergies Steve Kuhnau was suffering from, the nurse began reading up on nutrition, hoping a change in diet would help his symptoms. Once he began eating fresh foods and cutting fat out of his diet, Kuhnau started feeling better. His next task was to find a way to tackle the midday fatigue caused by hypoglycemia. Using his nursing expertise and the drink mixing experience he gained as a soda jerk in high school, Kuhnau began experimenting with high protein drinks. The resulting product combined fresh fruits, vitamins and other supplements and inspired the creation of Kuhnau's company, Smoothie King.
Each Smoothie King store sells smoothies and a variety of vitamins, minerals, low fat snacks and nutritional supplements.
Offering 40 percent off its initial franchise fee agreements for the first 40 agreements in 2013 IN St. Louis.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a traditional Smoothie King Business ranges from for an end-cap or in-line location,
$269,550 to $545,035, and for a free-standing drive-thru location,
$577,100 to $845,985. This includes $28,250 to $36,990 that must be paid
to the franchisor.
If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you also
must pay the franchisor a development fee of $12,500 for each Smoothie King franchise you commit to develop after the first franchise. You
must develop a minimum of 5 Smoothie King Businesses under the Area
Development Agreement.
Veteran Incentives 20% off franchise fee
#14 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#19 in Franchise 500 for 2021.
About 16 Handles
The 16 Handles Brand is in High Demand.
Launched in 2008, 16 Handles was New York's first self-serve pay-by-weight frozen yogurt shop and is still #1 in the city. We give our customers complete and total control over their creation with 16 different frozen yogurts and over 50 different toppings, with a menu offering products like Fro-Yo Cakes, Mega Mixes (take home pints), Toppings to Go, Fro-Yo Sandwiches, Whip-Ups, Waffle Bowls and Cones, Fruit Smoothies, Fro-Yo Hot Cocoa, and more!
16 Handles also offers an eye-catching in-store design, innovative marketing, and an amazing customer experience. We currently have over 40 stores across the East Coast and 150 international stores in development.
Reasons to Invest!
- #1 Frozen Yogurt Franchise Listed In The 2014 Future 50, Technomic
- $780,915* AUV, Highest Among Our Competitors**
- Taste The Difference In Quality - Hand Crafted, Proprietary Products With Kosher, Vegan, and Gluten Free Options Available
Figures reflect averages for nineteen (19) stores as published under Item 19 of our 2014 Franchise Disclosure Document. As of December 31, 2013, we had twenty seven (27) Franchised Stores in operation, but only nineteen (19) of these Stores were open throughout the entire calendar year. We did not include the revenue figures for the eight (8) Franchised Stores that were not open for the entire 2013 calendar year, nor did we include the revenue figures for the Stores that are owned and operated by us and/or our affiliates. All of the franchisee information contained in Item 19 was provided to us by our franchisees through periodic reports required under the Franchise Agreement.
**Competitors being Yogurtland, Pinkberry, Menchie's, sweetFrog, Orange Leaf, Red Mango, and TCBY, according to their respective 2014 FDD's, Item 19
#72 on Franchise Rankings.com