Icebox/Soupbox vs U-Swirl Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
U-Swirl Franchise
Investment $69,500 - $174,500$360,000 - $466,000
Franchise Fee $14,000 - $20,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 4%4%
Advertising Fee -2%Nat'l + 1%Local
Year Founded 1995-
Year Franchised 1998-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee Negotiable-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
U-Swirl Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    U-Swirl Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/No-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    U-Swirl Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising-
    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)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Icebox/Soupbox Franchise
    U-Swirl Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    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 U-Swirl

    U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt franchises are hot, hot HOT!
    Interested in capitalizing on the frozen yogurt craze sweeping the nation? Look no further - U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt system is the franchise business opportunity capturing the attention of serious entrepreneurial business owners and established area developers, alike. Read on to learn why! Why U-Swirl? PROVEN EXPERIENCE.

    U-SWIRL's corporate management and advisory team have achieved significant success in the development and expansion of several consumer-focused franchise operations over the past four decades. In March 2009, Healthy Fast Food, through its wholly owned subsidiary U-SWIRL International, Inc., premiered its first Company-owned U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt store in Las Vegas. In less than eight months, there were six U-SWIRL stores in operation in the Vegas valley, where customers now flock to choose as many yogurt flavors and toppings as they like, and then pay by the ounce for their unique creations. We are now actively engaged in rolling out the profitable U-SWIRL self-serve concept nationwide in those states in which the Company is qualified to offer franchises If you have passion and enthusiasm and looking for a great business to tap in to, please contact U-SWIRL today to learn more about the franchising opportunities available, or fill out our form to the right for a FREE franchise consultation.