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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Sweet Nel's vs Icebox/Soupbox including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $354,000 - $539,000 | $69,500 - $174,500 |
Franchise Fee | $35,000 | $14,000 - $20,000 |
Royalty Fee | 5% | 4% |
Advertising Fee | 2% | - |
Year Founded | 2015 | 1995 |
Year Franchised | 2015 | 1998 |
Term Of Agreement | - | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement | - | 10 years |
Renewal Fee | - | Negotiable |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | No/No | No/No |
Start-up Costs | No/No | No/No |
Equipment | No/No | No/No |
Inventory | No/No | No/No |
Receivables | No/No | No/No |
Payroll | No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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Training | 2 weeks of intensive training from the most basic of shop functions to the most comprehensive management techniques necessary to run the Sweet Nel's business. Training is ongoing for both you and your employees. | - |
Support | A Sweet Nel's consultant will guide you through every phase of development and, eventually, to help you open your shop. After shop construction, and for the 2-weeks prior to grand opening, we will assist in setting up your Sweet Nel's Shop. Sweet Nel's franchisees are provided with a Field Service Consultant on-call to answer questions and to provide support. They will visit on a regular basis and have an in-depth meeting about how things are going and to offer suggestions and evaluations. | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing | We support you with the tools you need to take advantage of promotional opportunities and create new programs on an ongoing basis. | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising |
Operations | We do not allow multiple shop ownership at this time. |
0% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | Yes | - |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | No | Yes |
We are developing a small, limited number of "Sweet Nel's" franchises in the Philadelphia area. Although we could open more, it is our philosophy to open fewer cafes and locate them in very high profile, magnet locations in and around Philadelphia. Franchisees are extensively screened, exhaustively trained and provided with an exceptional degree of guidance and support from the Sweet Nel's franchise organization.
Before opening his first store, Jamie Taerbaum stood outside a Baskin-Robbins store to figure out how many customers an ice cream store could expect at different times of day, on different days of the week, and in different weather conditions. Armed with this research, the young business school graduate opened the original Icebox/Soupbox store in 1995 in Chicago.
In the spring and summer, Icebox operates as a retailer of Icyfruit, a mixture of fruit juice, sugar, water and chunks of fruit that comes in 20 flavors. Throughout the fall and winter, it becomes a Soupbox store, offering a wide variety of soups.