Little Scoops vs Rita's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Little Scoops vs Rita's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Little Scoops Franchise
Rita's Franchise
Investment $87,000 - $152,000$15,100 - $435,000
Franchise Fee $20,000$10,000 - $30,000
Royalty Fee $350/wk6.5%
Advertising Fee -3%
Year Founded 20021984
Year Franchised 20031989
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee -50% of current franchise fee


Business Experience Requirements
 
Little Scoops Franchise
Rita's Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Little Scoops Franchise
Rita's Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
Start-up Costs No/YesNo/Yes
Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
Inventory No/NoNo/No
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support
 
Little Scoops Franchise
Rita's Franchise
Training Ongoing support as needed5 days at Cool University and 4 days on site
Support Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesCool Support Center, newsletter, meetings, toll-free phone line, grand opening, security/safety procedures, field operations/evaluations
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicksAd slicks, National media, Regional advertising
Operations 0% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 15

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

 50% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: average 2 full-time, 15 part-time

Expansion Plans
 
Little Scoops Franchise
Rita's Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion NoNo
International Expansion NoNo

Company Overviews

About Little Scoops

At Little Scoops, we believe birthday parties are about fun, not only for the kids, but also for the parents. A party at Little Scoops allows you to celebrate along with your kids, without having to worry about the clean up or the arrangement. Little Scoops is a children’s party place, featuring a retro 1950’s ice cream parlor motif. Partygoers are treated to a variety of interactive games all set to age-appropriate music and supervised by a staff of trained professionals. Pizza and soft drinks are served at all parties with other food options available at your request. At every Little Scoops party, children get to make their own ice cream sundaes with various colorful toppings.

About Rita's

From a small porch front in 1984 in Northeast Philadelphia and a seasonal phenomenon, Rita's continues to see unprecedented growth as it continues to grow across the nation becoming a year round spectacular with its cult-like following. Rita's - made fresh daily - Italian ice obsession is hitting everyone's taste buds and creating a passion not just for the brand but the opportunity to become a Rita's Italian ice franchise owner. It's no wonder we are wired for success and fueled up for our expansion not only across the nation, but internationally we are making our presence known. Rita's franchisees come from all walks of life with one thing in common - the desire to choose their own destiny with a proven system providing on-going support; not to mention all having a passion for Rita's cool treats and foregoing happiness. There's no better time than today to begin evaluating the Rita's business model. Why not get a taste of success and view our fresh and desirable products!


The total investment necessary to begin operation of a standard Rita’s shop is between $175,500 and $435,000. These figures include between $50,000 to $55,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of an express Rita’s shop is between $121,100 and $309,900. These figures include between $33,000 to $33,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
If you enter into an agreement for a standard Rita’s shop or express Rita’s shop, we may offer you the opportunity to enter into an addendum to operate a Rita’s satellite shop and/or a Rita’s mobile unit.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Rita’s satellite shop is between $131,550 and $296,400. These figures include between $19,200 to $25,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Rita’s mobile unit is between $15,100 and $144,600. These figures include between $10,000 to $13,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.