Rita's vs Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Rita's Franchise
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Franchise
Investment $15,100 - $435,000$234,500 - $814,500
Franchise Fee $10,000 - $30,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 6.5%6%
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 19841945
Year Franchised 19891989
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee 50% of current franchise fee-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Rita's Franchise
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Franchise
Experience -In order to be considered, you must have a net worth of $250,000 and unrestricted capital in the amount of $100,000.

Financing Options

 
Rita's Franchise
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Rita's Franchise
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Franchise
Training 5 days at Cool University and 4 days on siteOn-The-Job Training: 120 hours Classroom Training: 4 hours
Support Cool Support Center, newsletter, meetings, toll-free phone line, grand opening, security/safety procedures, field operations/evaluationsMeetings/Conventions Grand Opening Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertisingAd Templates Social media Website development Email marketing
Operations 50% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: average 2 full-time, 15 part-time

Number of Employees Required to Run: 25

Expansion Plans

 
Rita's Franchise
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Rita's

From a small porch front in 1984 in Northeast Philadelphia and a seasonal phenomenon, Rita's continues to see unprecedented growth as it continues to grow across the nation becoming a year round spectacular with its cult-like following. Rita's - made fresh daily - Italian ice obsession is hitting everyone's taste buds and creating a passion not just for the brand but the opportunity to become a Rita's Italian ice franchise owner. It's no wonder we are wired for success and fueled up for our expansion not only across the nation, but internationally we are making our presence known. Rita's franchisees come from all walks of life with one thing in common - the desire to choose their own destiny with a proven system providing on-going support; not to mention all having a passion for Rita's cool treats and foregoing happiness. There's no better time than today to begin evaluating the Rita's business model. Why not get a taste of success and view our fresh and desirable products!


The total investment necessary to begin operation of a standard Rita’s shop is between $175,500 and $435,000. These figures include between $50,000 to $55,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of an express Rita’s shop is between $121,100 and $309,900. These figures include between $33,000 to $33,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
If you enter into an agreement for a standard Rita’s shop or express Rita’s shop, we may offer you the opportunity to enter into an addendum to operate a Rita’s satellite shop and/or a Rita’s mobile unit.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Rita’s satellite shop is between $131,550 and $296,400. These figures include between $19,200 to $25,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Rita’s mobile unit is between $15,100 and $144,600. These figures include between $10,000 to $13,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.

About Handel's Homemade Ice Cream

"Handels

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt is a popular ice cream company franchise founded by Alice Handel in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio. As of 2020, the company was operating 50 corporate and franchise stores in nine states. Today, it is owned by Leonard Fisher and maintains a corporate headquarters in Canfield, Ohio.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Handel’s Franchise ranges from $234,500 to $714,500. This includes between $170,000 and $230,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
The total investment necessary to operate multiple Parlors under a form of area development agreement depends on the number of franchises the franchisor grants you the right to open. The total investment necessary to enter into a development agreement for the right to develop three Parlors is $334,500 to $814,500, which includes an initial development fee of $150,000 that is paid to the franchisor, and the total investment to open and commence operations of your initial Parlor. Under the area development agreement, the Development Fee is equal to $50,000 for each Parlor that the franchisor will grant you the right to open and operate under the Development Agreement.

"Entrepreneur
#385 in Franchise 500 for 2020.