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Updated RecentlyEmerald City Smoothie vs Country Style Ice Cream Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Emerald City Smoothie vs Country Style Ice Cream including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $75,250 - $286,900 | $240,000 - $265,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $15,000 - $25,000 | N/A |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | - |
| Advertising Fee | 2% | - |
| Year Founded | 2005 | - |
| Year Franchised | 2005 | - |
| Term Of Agreement | - | - |
| Term Of Agreement | - | - |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | - | The most important qualification is the willingness to sacrifice the time necessary to establish a successful operation. Financial strength and management ability or experiences are also key ingredients. |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | -/- | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | -/- | -/- |
| Equipment | -/- | -/- |
| Inventory | -/- | -/- |
| Receivables | -/- | -/- |
| Payroll | -/- | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | - | The initial training program shall be approximately 50 hours over eight days in duration. Franchisee shall complete initial training program at least three weeks before the commencement of operation of the franchised store. |
| Support | * Use of the Emerald City Smoothie brand and all existing and new marketing materials * Assistance with real estate brokers, site selection, lease negotiation and construction based on best practices learned from over 30 store openings * A turn-key system that includes all architectural design, equipment, shelving, graphics, and signage at a reasonable cost * Extensive ECS Experience training for you and one staff member on drink making, developing a customer community, business management and marketing * Grand opening planning and support * "It's my store" customer involvement program * Peer-to-peer problem and solution sharing with other franchise owners * New drink introductions based on successful pilot programs at other franchises * Web presence for easy store location and product and service pre-selection * Periodic, high-return marketing strategies for pilot testing and implementation * Greater buying power for smoothie and health products as a member of our buying cooperative * Periodic visits to assist with general operations, employee training and to help you fine-tune the ECS experience * Analysis of store sales and performance versus system- wide benchmarks | - |
| Marketing | - | - |
| Operations | - | It is not a requirement to be an owner/operator. However, it is required that the owner participate in the training program and highly encouraged that the owner participate in the operation of the store at a level that control can be maintained. |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | - | - |
| Canada Expansion | - | - |
| International Expansion | - | - |
Company Overviews
About Emerald City Smoothie
If you are looking for a significant franchise opportunity with a low cost of entry and a high upside potential, you may be a great candidate to be an Emerald City Smoothie franchise owner. We've also built our uniqueness beyond the product. We build customer loyalty everyday through: * A personal service philosophy that turns our employees into part of our customer's fitness-support team, which keeps customers coming back, according to the Parker LePla Emerald City Smoothie Customer Study * Supplements for any health goal from weight loss to bulking up * Smoothie recipes that won the "best of" smoothie category in a Seattle poll, featuring a unique blending process that creates a smooth, refreshing, but never-watery, taste * Branding and design that helps draw customers into your stores and makes selection of high-margin add-on products easy. Click here for a virtual tour of one of our world-class locations. * Marketing, training, site selection, and quality control services. Emerald City Smoothie also features all the benefits of franchising including our formula for operating to help avoid many mistakes commonly made by new business owners. Today, one out of every seven dollars spent by Americans for retail goods and services is spent in a franchised or independent product distribution business (source: IFA Franchise Opportunity Guide, p. 31, Fall/Winter 2004). Franchising generates an estimated $1.5 trillion in the U.S. economy annually (source: www.franchise.org/opportunities). The combination of the franchisor's expertise and your hard work create the potential for a strong business. With a franchise, you are in business for yourself, not by yourself!
About Country Style Ice Cream
Country Style was founded in 1947 when Wayne Lindgren decided to follow his brother Chester "Whitey" Lindgren into the world of ice cream. The brothers collaborated to produce a quality soft serve mix and Wayne along with his wife Desyl opened the first Country Style on 23rd Avenue and 43rd Street in Moline, Illinois. Later, Whitey and Wayne joined forces at the 16th Street and 23rd Avenue Moline store. Wayne eventually bought out Whitey's share of the business. Committed to quality, Wayne and Desyl then set out to establish Country Style as the finest quality soft serve ice cream in the country. Throughout the years, their dedication and hard work produced a following that spread across the country. The words "tastes like homemade" are often heard at Country Style and can be attributed to the high standards originally set by Wayne and Desyl. Kent Kindelsperger purchased Country Style on February 8, 1988 and continues to head the company. After experimenting with different store venues, Country Style has found a niche and brand with a free standing dairy farm building that serves exceptional ice cream. Country Style's history as a top quality soft serve ice cream provider sets a strong foundation to market the brand across the country.