Ben & Jerry's vs Country Style Ice Cream Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Ben & Jerry's Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream Franchise
Investment $152,200 - $546,800$240,000 - $265,000
Franchise Fee $16,000 - $37,000N/A
Royalty Fee 3%-
Advertising Fee 4%-
Year Founded 1978-
Year Franchised 1981-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee 50% of then current fee-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Ben & Jerry's Franchise
Country Style Ice Cream 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).
    		• 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
     
    Ben & Jerry's 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/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Ben & Jerry's Franchise
    Country Style Ice Cream 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 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 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.

    		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
     
    Ben & Jerry's Franchise
    Country Style Ice Cream 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 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.