Smoothie King vs HipPOPs Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Smoothie King vs HipPOPs including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Smoothie King Franchise
HipPOPs Franchise
Investment $269,550 - $845,985$245,175 - $351,450
Franchise Fee $30,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 6%-
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 19872012
Year Franchised 19882015
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Smoothie King Franchise
HipPOPs Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Smoothie King Franchise
    HipPOPs Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/Yes-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Smoothie King Franchise
    HipPOPs Franchise
    Training -Three days at HipPOPs Central *Operations + business management *Marketing *Human resources + staffing *POPstar + customer service *Two days of training to ensure that you are ready to open *Production + scheduling assessment *Marketing + networking *Staff training + taste testing *Grand opening review
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives *Field operations + marketing support *Business coaching *Instructional videos + webinars
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media-
    Operations 60% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6 - 9

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

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Smoothie King Franchise
    HipPOPs Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion YesYes

    Company Overviews

    About Smoothie King

    When visits to various doctors did little to relieve the allergies Steve Kuhnau was suffering from, the nurse began reading up on nutrition, hoping a change in diet would help his symptoms. Once he began eating fresh foods and cutting fat out of his diet, Kuhnau started feeling better. His next task was to find a way to tackle the midday fatigue caused by hypoglycemia. Using his nursing expertise and the drink mixing experience he gained as a soda jerk in high school, Kuhnau began experimenting with high protein drinks. The resulting product combined fresh fruits, vitamins and other supplements and inspired the creation of Kuhnau's company, Smoothie King.
    Each Smoothie King store sells smoothies and a variety of vitamins, minerals, low fat snacks and nutritional supplements. Offering 40 percent off its initial franchise fee agreements for the first 40 agreements in 2013 IN St. Louis.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a traditional Smoothie King Business ranges from for an end-cap or in-line location, $269,550 to $545,035, and for a free-standing drive-thru location, $577,100 to $845,985. This includes $28,250 to $36,990 that must be paid to the franchisor.
    If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you also must pay the franchisor a development fee of $12,500 for each Smoothie King franchise you commit to develop after the first franchise. You must develop a minimum of 5 Smoothie King Businesses under the Area Development Agreement.
    Veteran Incentives  20% off franchise fee
    ""  "Entrepreneur

    #14 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #19 in Franchise 500 for 2021.







    About HipPOPs

    We've got the mobile Gelato Ice Cream Franchise POP-ortunity you've been looking for. The first mobile Gelato Ice Cream on a stick franchise of its kind! The frozen ice cream business, reimagined... HipPOPs is gourmet, handcrafted gelato on a stick, delivered to the people. Building on the success of the original HipPOPs mobile ice cream business model - and a passion for delivering handcrafted awesomeness - to people everywhere, HipPOPs is now offering franchise opportunities. *Mobility means profitability *Multiple revenue streams, year-round sales. *Flexible business model *Reduced overhead, lean staffing, no retail or mall hours, no long or expensive rental commitments. *Proprietary recipes and quality product *High-quality ingredients, locally sourced when possible, handcrafted artisan approach. *Catering and POP-up gelato bars *Endless possibilities for special events in any season, from weddings to bar mitzvahs, to corporate functions and more. *Advertising on wheels The POPtruck is also a billboard, providing maximum exposure every time you are out on the street. Growth market Ice cream and frozen novelty business is expected to reach $12.7 billion in sales over the next five years. What to expect in a typical day: 1. Make some POPs: Spend a few hours creating product in your own Micro Creamery. 2. Work the phone: Field calls about catering opportunities and events, spend time on the phone with customers to schedule bookings. 3. Hit the streets: Vend from the POPtruck at scheduled music festivals, golf tournaments, food truck events, arts and crafts fairs and more in the evening. 4. Cater an event: Serve at a catering event or POP-up gelato social (or both!) later in the day.