Cold Stone Creamery vs Dairy Queen Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cold Stone Creamery vs Dairy Queen including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Cold Stone Creamery Franchise
Dairy Queen Franchise
Investment $50,200 - $467,525$1,151,135 - $1,936,655
Franchise Fee $15,000 - $27,000$45,000
Royalty Fee 6%4%
Advertising Fee 3%5-6%
Year Founded 19881940
Year Franchised 19941944
Term Of Agreement 10 yearsVaries
Term Of Agreement 10 yearsVaries
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Cold Stone Creamery Franchise
Dairy Queen Franchise
Experience -
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience

  • Financing Options

     
    Cold Stone Creamery Franchise
    Dairy Queen Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/Yes
    Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
    Inventory No/YesNo/Yes
    Receivables No/YesNo/Yes
    Payroll No/YesNo/Yes

    Training & Support

     
    Cold Stone Creamery Franchise
    Dairy Queen Franchise
    Training Franchising with Cold Stone Creamery® means you’ll never be alone in your business. As one of the world’s premier ice cream franchises, Cold Stone Creamery’s support network has launched hundreds of entrepreneurs without any experience in either the service industry or the restaurant industry into growing businesses in communities across the country and around the world. “Cold Stone Creamery has one of the most robust training platforms in the entire franchise industry,” says John Wuycheck, SVP of Franchise Development. “Our franchisees make real investments of both time and money to franchise with Cold Stone Creamery, and we honor that by going above and beyond in providing an exceptional initial and ongoing training platform. We’ve been helping entrepreneurs establish new Cold Stone Creamery businesses for a long time, and we’ve built an iconic business model that requires no previous experience to become a top performer. As a franchisor, we’re honored to report that franchisee satisfaction is at an all-time high.” Initial New franchisees attend KTEC (Kahala Training and Education Center). In addition, new franchisees spend two weeks in a store where we cover every aspect of their new business, including making the ice cream, preparing and serving Cold Stone Creamery products, managing inventory and supporting their business through savvy marketing. On-The-Job New franchisees spend 80 hours in a store to learn the ins and outs of the business, including how to correctly prepare and serve the brand’s products. Cold Stone Creamery also hosts monthly check-ins to help you meet your goals, to offer assistance and to ensure you have all the tools necessary to improve your business every day.On-The-Job Training: 376 hours Classroom Training: 32 hours Additional Training: At existing DQ store
    Support Cold Stone Creamery will meet with you regularly to help you and answer any of your questions. Every new franchisee receives monthly check-in calls from a Regional Director of Operations or Area Developer.Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Cold Stone Creamery franchisees have access to in-house marketing and public relations teams, which significantly reduces expenses. These teams help with national, regional and local marketing, along with public relations from the grand opening through the life of the business. We train franchisees to manage their stores’ social media accounts, including Facebook®, Twitter® and Instagram® -" and newer platforms such as Snapchat®Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations 35% 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)

    International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 20 - 100

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.


    Expansion Plans

     
    Cold Stone Creamery Franchise
    Dairy Queen Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesYes

    Company Overviews

    About Cold Stone Creamery

    Founders, Donald and Susan Sutherland, have an energy for frozen yogurt! They scanned wherever for frozen yogurt that was "smooth and rich", instead of the customary hard-pressed or delicate serve assortments. In 1988, in the wake of coming up purge in their hunt, they opened the primary Cold Stone Creamery in Tempe, Arizona. Utilizing just the finest fixings, the Sutherlands delivered the most elevated quality frozen yogurt accessible - making it crisp every day in their store. Each dessert creation was then made to arrange for every client by mixing in blend ins on a solidified rock stone (the Cold Stone!), and served in a crisp prepared waffle cone. Word soon spread far and wide among frozen yogurt significant others that Cold Stone Creamery's dessert was the best, and the upheaval started! In 1995, the main establishment store opened in Tucson, Arizona, trailed by the first out-of-state store in Camarillo, California.

    The establishing store of Cold Stone Creamery opened in 1988
    We've been granting establishments since 1994
    About 1,000 stores working in the U.S. also, almost 300 stores around the world
    U.S. Domains Currently Open
    Single and Multi-Unit Deals Available
    Normal time to open is 6-12 months
    Co-marking Opportunities Available

    The Numbers You Need to Know

    $27,000 establishment fee*
    $250,000 total assets
    $100,000 fluid, non-financed stores
    Add up to beginning speculation - $50,200 - $467,525 *
    Sovereignty expense - 6% of gross deals
    Publicizing expense - 3% of gross deals

    *This charge is for a customary area and does exclude any rebates that might be appropriate. Distinctive expenses may apply for different sorts of areas. More nitty gritty venture data is accessible in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

    The Buzz About Our Brand

    #53 on the 2013 "Establishment 500®" rundown in Entrepreneur® magazine
    #19 on the 2013 "Worldwide 30" list in QSR® magazine
    #46 on the 2012 "Top Global Franchises" list in Entrepreneur magazine
    #49 on QSR magazine's 2011 "QSR Top 50" positioning
    #54 on the 2011 "Establishment 500" rundown in Entrepreneur magazine
    #49 on Franchise Direct's® "Best 100 Global Franchises" list for 2011

    #123 on the 2010 Franchise Times® "Beat 200 Franchise Systems"
    "franchiserankingscom"
    #79 on Franchise Rankings.com





    About Dairy Queen

    Frozen yogurt producer J.F. McCullough was trying different things with a formula for another solidified dairy item, originating from his conviction that dessert tasted better when it was delicate and served straight from the cooler, not solidified strong. With his formula culminated, McCullough and his child, Alex, persuaded one regarding their clients to hold a starting offer of the new delicate frozen yogurt, and more than 1,600 individuals appeared to attempt it. In light of that underlying achievement, the McCulloughs opened the primary Dairy Queen area in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois. The main stores sold just delicate serve frozen yogurt - in sundaes, bring home pints and quarts, and cones- - however throughout the years, an assortment of dessert treats were added to the menu, for example, banana parts and Dilly Bars. In the 1950s, some Dairy Queens started serving hot sustenance things. Today, stores framework wide have menus that incorporate franks, cheeseburgers and chicken tenders through Dairy Queen's Grill and Chill idea. The organization likewise offers a DQ Treat idea that offers both Dairy Queen's solidified treats and the sister organization's natural product beverages and smoothies.

    International Dairy Queen, Inc., (IDQ) has been creating “smiles and stories” for more than 70 years. Tracing its roots back to 1940, the company, is a leading quick service restaurant franchisor of delicious frozen treats and mouth-watering hot food items. The company is corporately based in Minneapolis, MN, is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation, Orange Julius of America and Karmelkorn Shoppes Inc., which develops, licenses and services a system of more than 6,400 Dairy Queen® Orange Julius® and Karmelkorn® stores in the United States, Canada and over 25 other countries. All are part of the Berkshire Hathaway family, a company owned by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single DQ Grill & Chill® franchise is $1,151,135-$1,936,655.
    This includes the $45,555 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate. In addition, if you enter into a multiple trade area reservation agreement, you will pay an initial franchise fee deposit determined by multiplying the number of restaurants you are granted the right to develop by $10,000.

    ""   "Entrepreneur

    #16 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #42 in Franchise 500 for 2021.