Carvel vs Emerald City Smoothie Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Carvel vs Emerald City Smoothie including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Carvel Franchise
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Investment $250,600 - $415,500$75,250 - $286,900
Franchise Fee $30,000$15,000 - $25,000
Royalty Fee $2.44/gal.6%
Advertising Fee $2.13/gallon2%
Year Founded 19342005
Year Franchised 19472005
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee Then current fee-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Carvel Franchise
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Carvel Franchise
    Emerald City Smoothie 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
     
    Carvel Franchise
    Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives* Use of the Emerald City Smoothie brand and all existing and new marketing materials * Assistance with real estate brokers, site selection, lease negotiation and construction based on best practices learned from over 30 store openings * A turn-key system that includes all architectural design, equipment, shelving, graphics, and signage at a reasonable cost * Extensive ECS Experience training for you and one staff member on drink making, developing a customer community, business management and marketing * Grand opening planning and support * "It's my store" customer involvement program * Peer-to-peer problem and solution sharing with other franchise owners * New drink introductions based on successful pilot programs at other franchises * Web presence for easy store location and product and service pre-selection * Periodic, high-return marketing strategies for pilot testing and implementation * Greater buying power for smoothie and health products as a member of our buying cooperative * Periodic visits to assist with general operations, employee training and to help you fine-tune the ECS experience * Analysis of store sales and performance versus system- wide benchmarks
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising-
    Operations International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Carvel Franchise
    Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    About Carvel

    In 1934 Tom Carvel opened his first ice cream shop in Hartsdale, New York. Over the years, he developed formulas and equipment for creating and serving his ice cream. The company started franchising in 1947, and by 1951 had opened 100 stores. Today the company distributes its line of ice cream, cakes, pies and other treats in its own locations and in stadiums, club stores and supermarkets.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Shoppe selling a full range of Carvel® products (a “Full Shoppe”) ranges from $250,600 to $415,500. This includes $30,000 to $32,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Shoppe selling selected Carvel® products (an “Express Shoppe”) ranges from $39,600 to $148,400.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of an Express Shoppe within the space of another restaurant, food service facility, or business approved by the franchisor (a “Hosted Express Shoppe”) ranges from $33,100 to $66,500. These total investment estimates for Express Shoppes and Hosted Express Shoppes include $10,000 to $12,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Shoppe in an ice cream truck (an “Ice Cream Truck”) is $95,050 to $195,000. This includes $5,000 to $7,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.

    "Entrepreneur
    #361 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #273 in Franchise 500 for 2021.



    About Emerald City Smoothie

    If you are looking for a significant franchise opportunity with a low cost of entry and a high upside potential, you may be a great candidate to be an Emerald City Smoothie franchise owner. We've also built our uniqueness beyond the product. We build customer loyalty everyday through: * A personal service philosophy that turns our employees into part of our customer's fitness-support team, which keeps customers coming back, according to the Parker LePla Emerald City Smoothie Customer Study * Supplements for any health goal from weight loss to bulking up * Smoothie recipes that won the "best of" smoothie category in a Seattle poll, featuring a unique blending process that creates a smooth, refreshing, but never-watery, taste * Branding and design that helps draw customers into your stores and makes selection of high-margin add-on products easy. Click here for a virtual tour of one of our world-class locations. * Marketing, training, site selection, and quality control services. Emerald City Smoothie also features all the benefits of franchising including our formula for operating to help avoid many mistakes commonly made by new business owners. Today, one out of every seven dollars spent by Americans for retail goods and services is spent in a franchised or independent product distribution business (source: IFA Franchise Opportunity Guide, p. 31, Fall/Winter 2004). Franchising generates an estimated $1.5 trillion in the U.S. economy annually (source: www.franchise.org/opportunities). The combination of the franchisor's expertise and your hard work create the potential for a strong business. With a franchise, you are in business for yourself, not by yourself!