Ben & Jerry's vs Swirls and Twirls Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Ben & Jerry's vs Swirls and Twirls including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$152,200 - $546,800 | $335,000 - $664,750 |
Franchise Fee |
$16,000 - $37,000 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee |
3% | 6% |
Advertising Fee |
4% | - |
Year Founded |
1978 | 2011 |
Year Franchised |
1981 | 2012 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | - |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | - |
Renewal Fee |
50% of then current fee | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
Are socially conscious, and active in your community.
Are passionate about operating an ethical, responsible business.
Will apply your full-time best efforts to the business.
Have at least two years of business management experience with P&L responsibility.
Have excellent business acumen, project management skills, and the ability to build and execute a business plan.
Are systems-oriented, and understand and value a franchise system.
Have the ability to recruit, train, and motivate staff, according to our standards.
Have a competitive drive and are committed to succeed, with realistic expectations.
Demonstrate honesty, integrity and humility and are a team player.
Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and are fluent in English.
Know how to use a computer and apply technology.
Have a college degree or higher (preferred).
Have a strong credit history and a minimum net worth of $350,000, with $100,000 in liquidity (cash and securities, not including retirement accounts). | We are looking for highly self-motivated business minded people searching for independent ownership. We look for franchisees that are outgoing and dedicated to building connections within the community. Our franchisees must also be financially qualified. We have multi-unit opportunities available for those who fulfill specific qualifications. |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/Yes | -/- |
Start-up Costs |
No/Yes | -/- |
Equipment |
No/Yes | -/- |
Inventory |
No/Yes | -/- |
Receivables |
No/Yes | -/- |
Payroll |
No/Yes | -/- |
Training & Support |
Training |
We’ve got a great recipe for operating a scoop shop, and a world-class team to provide “scoop-to-nuts” expertise.
We guide you every step of the way, beginning with your search for the right location, to training, to marketing, and to ongoing operational support for the life of your business.
On-The-Job Training: 24 hours
Classroom Training: 35 hours
| You will receive 10 days of training at our location in West Islip, New York covering Swirls and Twirls Systems
and Procedures, Food Safety, Customer Service, Finance, Administrative procedures and Local Store Marketing. |
Support |
Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
| Swirls and Twirls provides its franchisees with support from site selection approvals to store opening assistance,
training, ongoing consultation, marketing programs and materials, new products and more. |
Marketing |
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social media
Website development
Email marketing
| - |
Operations |
75% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. | - |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
No | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | - |
International Expansion |
No | - |
Company Overviews
About Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's is named for its founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry
Greenfield, who grew up together in Merrick, Long Island. In 1978, they
took a $5 correspondence course on ice-cream-making, then leased an old
gas station building in Burlington, Vermont to open their first ice
cream shop. Ben & Jerry’s has over 580 franchised ice cream scoop shops and PartnerShops worldwide. We have over 350 scoop shops in the United States and over 350 scoop shops Internationally.
Seeking new franchise units in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,
Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New
Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Australia/New Zealand, Canada and Western
Europe.
#63 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#138 in Franchise 500 for 2021.
About Swirls and Twirls
Swirls and Twirls was created to be the ultimate healthy indulgence and the most innovative self-serve frozen yogurt experience out there. We are all about promoting creative expression - in all forms.
Every Swirls and Twirls Franchise is:
Fun, simple, highly scalable
Unique, creative, completely innovative
Owner operated, absentee operated or semi-absentee operated
Requires minimal inventory and a low payroll roster
Includes comprehensive training and support
Our shops
Our upscale and contemporary shops are designed to provide our guests with an atmosphere that promotes fun and creativity while encouraging independence and nutritious eating habits. Every Swirls and Twirls boast a vibrant and unique interior, striking architectural lighting, music from a state-of-the-art sound system, a warm and inviting interior, and free Wi-Fi.
Leveraging technology to enhance the Swirls experience, on-site touch screens have been incorporated into every shop. One provides easy access to ingredient, nutrition and allergy information while the other, a 55" live Facebook monitor, allows customers to post status updates and photos, and see them appear online instantly.
Our Products
All of our premium yogurt flavors are kosher and include gluten-free, non-fat, low-fat, no sugar added, dairy-free varieties, and are as low as 70 calories per ½ cup serving. Every one of our shops features eight dual yogurt dispensers with a third handle in the middle that allows customers to create a most unexpected, uniquely swirled flavor. With 24 flavors on tap and 50+ toppings available all the time, visitors are only limited by their own imaginations.
In addition to our one-of-a-kind in-store experience, our new Swirls To Go products are growing in popularity and are flying out of all of our shops faster than we ever could have imagined. Our grab-and-go and easily customized products include:
Swirl Quarts - Their favorite Swirls flavors in pre-packaged quarts
Swirl Cakes - Birthday, anniversary or special occasion frozen yogurt cakes
Swirlwiches - Soft serve cookie sandwiches, with or without toppings
Swirls Cannoli - Swirls frozen yogurt hand piped into a fresh baked cannoli shell topped with mini chocolate chips.
The Opportunity
Starting a franchise with Swirls and Twirls allows you to capitalize on our proven business model and our tremendously growing momentum in this expanding $14 billion dollar industry. Over the last 18 months we’ve opened 9 new shops, with 3 more on the way, and plans in the works for expansion into NYC, NJ and Boston.
We are dedicated to providing you the systems, training, and tools that we have developed and refined over the years, to grow your business within the thriving market segment of self serve frozen yogurt. We provide our guests with a fun, creative, family and eco-friendly environment and products that are made with the highest quality ingredients at every store. As a franchisee, you’ll receive the benefit of our brand recognition and our support, beginning with site selection and training thru ongoing operational, research and development and marketing efforts. We will be your champion every step of the way.