Kilwin's Chocolates vs Country Style Ice Cream Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Kilwin's Chocolates Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
Investment $177,534 - $937,415$240,000 - $265,000
Franchise Fee $20,000 - $40,000N/A
Royalty Fee 5%-
Advertising Fee 1%-
Year Founded 1947-
Year Franchised 1982-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Kilwin's Chocolates Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream 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

 
Kilwin's Chocolates Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/Yes-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Kilwin's Chocolates Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
Training On-The-Job Training: 173 hours Classroom Training: 43 hours Additional Training: Online training; store visits 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 Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform-
Marketing Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing-
Operations 10% of all franchisees own more than one unit.
Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6 - 10
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
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

 
Kilwin's Chocolates Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Kilwin's Chocolates

Since 1947 Kilwins has been a celebrated part of Americana having earned a reputation for providing high quality products and excellent service. Our heritage was built on the simple premise of creating our products from the finest ingredients and providing customers with great service. Today we continue the tradition by uniquely combining high quality products with a warm friendly customer experience that is supported through a successful community of caring owner operators. We continue to offer the finest quality traditional down-home confections and ice cream that are kitchen made fresh from premium ingredients and original recipes.

Seeking new franchise units in the following regions/states:
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia

Veteran Incentives  $10,000 off franchise fee
"Entrepreneur
#105 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#121 in Franchise 500 for 2021.






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.