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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Icebox/Soupbox vs di'lishi frozen yogurt bar including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $69,500 - $174,500 | $285,700 - $512,500 |
Franchise Fee | $14,000 - $20,000 | $25,000 |
Royalty Fee | 4% | 4% |
Advertising Fee | - | 4% |
Year Founded | 1995 | 2011 |
Year Franchised | 1998 | 2011 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
Renewal Fee | Negotiable | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-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 |
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Training | - | On-The-Job Training: 1 week (approximately) Classroom Training: 1 week (approximately) |
Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations |
Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising | Ad Templates |
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 Allowed |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | Yes |
Canada Expansion | No | - |
International Expansion | Yes | - |
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.
di’lishi is the creation of Marlo Francis from Asheboro, NC. Her first experience with frozen yogurt came after her son told her about discovering the self-serve concept in a neighboring state when he left for college - and he was eager for her to try it when she planned her next visit. Before that could happen, though, Marlo happened upon a bar for herself, while travelling to a larger city near her hometown. After several repeat visits - including eventually traveling to see her son and trying the yogurt bar in his college town, it didn’t take long before she began dreaming about opening a shop of her own - one that reflected her unique interpretation of the concept. She wanted to create an environment that invited people to come in and stay awhile. She wanted to serve the finest yogurt and toppings that she could find, as well as a way to regularly contribute to the community around her.