Country Style Ice Cream vs sweetFrog Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Country Style Ice Cream vs sweetFrog including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
sweetFrog Franchise
Investment $240,000 - $265,000$95,600 - $477,500
Franchise Fee N/A$15,000 - $30,000
Royalty Fee -5%
Advertising Fee -1.5%
Year Founded -2009
Year Franchised -2012
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
sweetFrog Franchise
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

 
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
sweetFrog Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/Yes
Start-up Costs -/--/Yes
Equipment -/--/Yes
Inventory -/--/Yes
Receivables -/--/Yes
Payroll -/--/Yes

Training & Support

 
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
sweetFrog Franchise
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. On-The-Job Training: 24 hours Classroom Training: 24 hours Additional Training: As needed
Support -Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing -Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
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.

50% of all franchisees own more than one unit.

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 2 - 4.

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (50% of current franchisees are owner/operators).


Expansion Plans

 
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
sweetFrog Franchise
US Expansion -No
Canada Expansion -No
International Expansion -No

Company Overviews

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.

About sweetFrog

Shortly after moving to Richmond, Virginia, in 2009, Derek Cha brought the West-Coast frozen yogurt trend to his new home by opening the first sweetFrog store. In addition to a variety of frozen yogurt flavors and toppings, sweetFrog locations offer waffle cones and bowls, Belgian waffles, banana splits and parfaits.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a sweetFrog Shop is $231,500 - $477,500 for a Shop in Traditional Venue, $95,600 - $304,000 for a Kiosk Shop or Standard Floor Plan Shop in Non-Traditional Venue and $122,400 - $219,300 for a Truck.

#23 on Entrepreneur's ranking of the top 150 franchises offering incentives and other programs to help veterans become franchisees

Seeking new franchise units throughout the U.S., Africa, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Central America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Mexico, Philippines, South America and Western Europe    
Veteran Incentives  25% off franchise fee (50% off in May and November)