Marble Slab Creamery vs Shake's Frozen Custard Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Marble Slab Creamery vs Shake's Frozen Custard including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Marble Slab Creamery Franchise
Shake's Frozen Custard Franchise
Investment $316,085 - $409,135$162,000 - $287,000
Franchise Fee $15,000 - $25,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 6%5%
Advertising Fee 2%3%
Year Founded 19831991
Year Franchised 19841998
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee 20% of current fee50% of initial franchise fee


Business Experience Requirements
 
Marble Slab Creamery Franchise
Shake's Frozen Custard Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience

  • General business experience
    		•

    Financing Options
     
    Marble Slab Creamery Franchise
    Shake's Frozen Custard Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/YesNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/Yes
    Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
    Inventory No/YesNo/No
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    Marble Slab Creamery Franchise
    Shake's Frozen Custard Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 24.5 hours Classroom Training: 32.5 hours As necessary
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Site Selection Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app Co-op advertising, Ad slicks
    Operations 65% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 8 - 10

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

    		 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 20

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (75% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Expansion Plans
     
    Marble Slab Creamery Franchise
    Shake's Frozen Custard Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesNo

    Company Overviews

    About Marble Slab Creamery

    Founded in 1983, the family-owned, Houston-based Marble Slab Creamery offers homemade, super premium ice cream that's prepared to order on a marble slab, using a variety of mix-ins. With flavors like Sweet Cream, Chocolate Swiss, Cheesecake and Amaretto, more than 100 franchisees nationwide are tempting customers with their exotic flavors served in freshly-baked waffle cones. The stores also sell smoothies, shakes, sundaes, banana splits, ice cream cakes and pies. Some franchisees even offer homemade baked goods such as cookies, brownies and apple pie, as well as gourmet coffees.

    Seeking new franchisees in the U.S., Africa, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Central America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Philippines, South America and Western Europe     

    Veteran Incentives  25% off first-store franchise fee
    "Top
    #116 in Canada's Top franchises.                         

    "Entrepreneur
    #311 in Franchise 500 for 2020.


    About Shake's Frozen Custard

    Shake's Frozen Custard was established on three principles: Quality, Service, and Cleanliness. Today, these simple principles serve as the foundation from which Shake's, the Brand, continues to evolve. Our uncompromising dedication to the highest level of quality standards and our deep passion for service are, and will forever remain, the heart and soul of Shake's Frozen Custard. At Shake's Frozen Custard, we have an unrelenting focus on the future but we build our dreams on experience. Don and Debbie Osborne, founders of Shake's Frozen Custard, take great pride in having created a friendly, family oriented business. We realize that business success is fueled by individual customer experiences. Shake's Frozen Custard has an incredible ability to knock down the barriers of time and space in transporting us to those moments in our memory in which we experienced excitement, contentment, satisfaction, fun or any number of the seemingly infinite descriptors of human emotion. Shake's Frozen Custard offers the highest quality, premium ice cream today with the fast, friendly "service with a smile" of days gone by.Shake's Frozen Custard is a vibrant, one of a kind experience driven by a variety of interactive zones and viewing stations all leading to the presentation of the "World's best frozen dessert!" Shake's is much, much more than a simple restaurant. Shake's is a multi-sensory experience in which friends, families and loved ones build long lasting memories of quality, fun, and excitement. Every component of the facility generates a symphonic atmosphere that lends itself to the creation of wholesome, multi-generational, electrifying experiences. Customers of all ages enjoy reliving memories of "homemade" ice cream outings of days gone by with those special people in their lives.
    Shake's Frozen Custard provides our customers with a timeless and exciting experience - creating Memories of pure, powerful joy through a steadfast commitment to uncompromising quality, service, and cleanliness.