Ben & Jerry's vs Smoothie Factory Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Ben & Jerry's Franchise
Smoothie Factory Franchise
Investment $152,200 - $546,800$141,500 - $424,500
Franchise Fee $16,000 - $37,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 3%5%
Advertising Fee 4%-
Year Founded 19781996
Year Franchised 19811997
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee 50% of then current fee-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Ben & Jerry's Franchise
Smoothie Factory Franchise
Experience
  • Are socially conscious, and active in your community.
  • Are passionate about operating an ethical, responsible business.
  • Will apply your full-time best efforts to the business.
  • Have at least two years of business management experience with P&L responsibility.
  • Have excellent business acumen, project management skills, and the ability to build and execute a business plan.
  • Are systems-oriented, and understand and value a franchise system.
  • Have the ability to recruit, train, and motivate staff, according to our standards.
  • Have a competitive drive and are committed to succeed, with realistic expectations.
  • Demonstrate honesty, integrity and humility and are a team player.
  • Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and are fluent in English.
  • Know how to use a computer and apply technology.
  • Have a college degree or higher (preferred).
  • Have a strong credit history and a minimum net worth of $350,000, with $100,000 in liquidity (cash and securities, not including retirement accounts).
    		•  * A 620 or higher credit score * Investment capital equal to 30% of the purchase price * $10-$15K of working capital

    Financing Options
     
    Ben & Jerry's Franchise
    Smoothie Factory 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/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Ben & Jerry's Franchise
    Smoothie Factory Franchise
    Training We’ve got a great recipe for operating a scoop shop, and a world-class team to provide “scoop-to-nuts” expertise. We guide you every step of the way, beginning with your search for the right location, to training, to marketing, and to ongoing operational support for the life of your business. On-The-Job Training: 24 hours Classroom Training: 35 hours -
    Support Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform -
    Marketing Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media Website development Email marketing -
    Operations 75% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Ben & Jerry's Franchise
    Smoothie Factory Franchise
    US Expansion No-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Ben & Jerry's

    Ben & Jerry's is named for its founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who grew up together in Merrick, Long Island. In 1978, they took a $5 correspondence course on ice-cream-making, then leased an old gas station building in Burlington, Vermont to open their first ice cream shop.  Ben & Jerry’s has over 580 franchised ice cream scoop shops and PartnerShops worldwide. We have over 350 scoop shops in the United States and over 350 scoop shops Internationally.

    Seeking new franchise units in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Australia/New Zealand, Canada and Western Europe.

    ""    "Entrepreneur

    #63 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #138 in Franchise 500 for 2021.





    About Smoothie Factory

    Smoothie Factory - A Fresh Concept in Franchising!
    Smoothie Factory is a leader in today's growing $2 billion juice and smoothie bar industry. Founded by an Olympic athlete, Smoothie Factory meets the ever increasing demand for healthier options to traditional fast food. We believe in the simple concept of providing guests with reasonably priced smoothies, non-fat frozen yogurt and other healthy snacks served quickly in attractive, clean, pleasant surroundings every day. In addition to our great food product, our stores retail value priced dietary supplements enabling the franchisee to have multiple revenue sources under one roof. Smoothie Factory has established over 70 locations nationwide, along with international licenses in China and Vietnam, with a brand that has become recognized for excellence in service, product and value.
    Smoothie Factory Franchise Opportunity.
    Smoothie Factory's most impressive benefit, perhaps, is its desire to continually enhance its franchising system, interior design and image. The result has been a solid, unbroken track record of success, and a company poised for rapid expansion - an unparalleled blend of vision, product offerings and a franchise opportunity that's just right for forward-thinking entrepreneurs. In addition, an unwavering commitment to value on nutritional products continues to be an ingredient in our recipe for success. In fact, we sell nutritional products too, for less, every day, at 30%-50% off MSRP, making our franchise community a leader in nutritional product sales.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Smoothie Factory' Store ranges from $257,000 to $365,700. This includes the $42,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Smoothie Factory' Non-Traditional Store ranges from $141,500 to $305,000. This includes the $27,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Smoothie Factory-RED MANGO Co-Branded Traditional Store ranges from $309,000 to $424,500. This includes the $47,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Smoothie Factory' Non-Traditional Store Co-Branded with a Third-Party Concept ranges from $75,500 to $189,500. This includes the $20,000 to $27,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate.