Emerald City Smoothie vs Herrell's Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Herrell's Franchise
Investment $75,250 - $286,900$251,000 - $367,000
Franchise Fee $15,000 - $25,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 6%6%
Advertising Fee 2%-
Year Founded 20051973
Year Franchised 20051980
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Herrell's Franchise
Experience -

What we expect from a franchisee * A belief in the Herrell's Ice Cream product and system

* Owner operation and interest in their community

* Respect for employees

* Franchisor respect and communication

* Customer service that exceeds the norm (win that customer back every time they come into your store)

* Cleanliness and neatness

* Desire to succeed in one's own business


Financing Options

 
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Herrell's Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support

 
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Herrell's Franchise
Training -During your training you will receive detailed instructions as well as hands-on experience making our award-winning ice cream, including thorough familiarization with all equipment.
Support * 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 benchmarksSince the proof of the ice cream is in the eating, Herrell's Ice Cream will provide you with our absolutely best tasting, richest and creamiest ice cream recipes which have been perfected applying years of experience. How and where to order your inventory of perishable ingredients and supplies is crucial. During your pre-opening days in preparation for your opening, our staff will assist you in contacting various suppliers and in placing your initial orders. Once you are in operation, a member of the franchise staff will visit you on a regular basis. Areas such as ice cream making, daily operations, expense analysis, staff evaluation and promotional ideas can be discussed. The Herrell's Ice Cream and Herrell's Development staff is very supportive and is always only a phone call or e-mail away.
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans

 
Emerald City Smoothie Franchise
Herrell's Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

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!

About Herrell's

Herrell's Ice Cream offers a unique concept. Sure, these days everyone has gourmet ice cream, but at Herrell's we know the best ice cream is handmade on the premises ice cream. Our product is fresh, rich and delicious, using only the finest ingredients to ensure a perfectly flavored ice cream. The Smoosh-in, a Herrell's innovation, tantalizes its customers by allowing them to select their favorite flavor of ice cream and Smoosh-in, a variety of candies, nuts and cookies and top it with our award-winning hot fudge creating an infinite number of unique special flavor experiences.
Herrell's Ice Cream has gained a well-deserved reputation for excellence. We are the original and are still the best! As the owner of a Herrell's Ice Cream franchise, you will be backed by this excellent reputation. The success of Herrell's Ice Cream has resulted in many industry copycats, but the ice cream quality has never been matched. Dedicated to creativity and the pursuit of excellence, Herrell's Ice Cream continues to be at the top of distinctive taste and customer loyalty. As a Herrell's Ice Cream franchise owner, you too will benefit from the realization of a dream come true.
Since 1973, the Herrell's name has been synonymous with premium, gourmet ice cream made right in-house from the finest ingredients. At our flagship ice cream shop in Northampton, Massachusetts - in the heart of the Pioneer Valley - we still slow-churn our ice cream with care. And over the years, we've added many more frozen desserts and baked goods to tempt every taste!