Icebox/Soupbox vs Baskin-Robbins Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
Baskin-Robbins Franchise
Investment $69,500 - $174,500$123,952 - $558,830
Franchise Fee $14,000 - $20,000$12,500 - $25,000
Royalty Fee 4%5.9%
Advertising Fee -5%
Year Founded 19951945
Year Franchised 19981948
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee Negotiable-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
Baskin-Robbins Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience

  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
    		•

    Financing Options
     
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    Baskin-Robbins Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
    Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
    Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/Yes
    Payroll No/NoNo/Yes

    Training & Support
     
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    Baskin-Robbins Franchise
    Training - On-The-Job Training: 2.5 weeks Classroom Training: 2.5 weeks
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertisingCo-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations 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)

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

    Expansion Plans
     
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    Baskin-Robbins Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesYes

    Company Overviews

    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.

    About Baskin-Robbins

    As a teenager in the 1930s, Irv Robbins managed an ice cream shop in Tacoma, Washington. Bored with serving traditional flavors like chocolate and vanilla, Robbins began experimenting, mixing fruit and candies into the ice cream. After serving in World War II, Robbins bought an ice cream parlor in Glendale, California. Three years later, he convinced his brother-in-law, Burt Baskin, to join the business. The two men flipped a coin to see whose name would go first on the sign. Baskin won, and in 1945, Baskin-Robbins was born. Today, Baskin-Robbins has locations in more than 50 countries, each serving the company's famous 31 flavors of ice cream as well as frozen yogurt, sherbet, cakes and drinks. Baskin-Robbins is a subsidiary of Allied Domecq, parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Togo's. Franchisees may operate combination stores, co-branding Baskin-Robbins with either Dunkin' Donuts or Togo's. 

    Veteran Incentives  First-store franchise fee waived; royalty fee reduced for first 5 years
    "Top    ""    "Entrepreneur
    #100 in Canada's Top franchises.          
                                                                                                   
    "franchiserankingscom"
    #30 on Franchise Rankings.com
    #13 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #38 in Franchise 500 for 2021.