Location, Location, Location
Finding a good site for your Scoop Shop makes all the difference in the world.
You’ll scout the market and propose a location, which our Site Approval Committee will then review against a set of criteria built from over 35 years in the business (our approval is necessary to move forward). To help you go about your search, we provide a Site Selection Playbook full of tips and tools, and detailed overview of our criteria.
Here’s What We’re Looking For:
- Large downtown areas, or tourist sections of a downtown where people go to enjoy and experience a city.
- Entertainment centers with high levels of foot traffic.
- Tourist destinations with high foot traffic, such as beaches, boardwalks, etc.
- Captive locations with high levels of foot traffic, like airports, amusement parks, universities, etc.
Ben & Jerry's makes a fabulous fit for a wide variety of venues
Our scoop shops come in different sizes, from full-size storefronts with all of our products to in-line stores and kiosks that carry a smaller selection.
Full-Size Shop
approximately 750 to 1,200 sq. ft.
In-Line Shop
approximately 450 to 650 sq. ft.
Kiosk
approximately 150 to 200 sq. ft.
A Scoop Shop is (almost) born
After your site’s approved, you’ll move to the Design & Build Process, where we will guide you through the steps of opening your shop.
The Design & Build Process will include:
- Hiring an architect – either our approved national architect, or a local architect that you feel comfortable with. Your architect will design your shop and develop permit-ready construction documents based on our specifications.
- Hiring a General Contractor – we have tools to help you gather and compare bids.
- There are national accounts, vendors and pricing established to save you time and money (equipment companies, signage, tile, paint, lighting, etc.).
- Service providers will fabricate and consolidate all casework, furniture, fixtures, equipment, trade dress and inventory. Ben & Jerry’s will help you with all your opening orders.
- There are systems and follow-up to keep your project on track. Build-outs generally take 6 to 8 weeks.
- Ben & Jerry’s will sign off on the project when the store is fully completed to specifications and arrange for your in-store training.
Our Marketing Team is behind you
Your new scoop shop will have the support of our Retail Marketing Team from your very first day. You’ll also be provided with a great portfolio of products, materials and tools that you can use to grow your new business. Our Retail Marketing Team will back you with:
- Designing in and out-of-shop promotional materials
- Activating major brand campaigns
- Creating Local Store Marketing (LSM) tools
- Merchandising elements, and more
Proven ways to build sales — sampling, catering, & special events
A little ice cream generosity can foster some pretty phenomenal brand awareness.
Sometimes all it takes to turn a casual ice cream consumer into a passionate Ben & Jerry’s fan is a free taste of our flavors, which is why our franchisees often engage in planned and random acts of free flavor sampling.
Catering and special events are great sales builders too. Building strong relationships and accounts in these areas can really be a sweet spot for your business. In fact, we strongly encourage you to do so, and can give you plenty of advice, based on the success other franchisees have seen.
Here’s the scoop on training and ongoing support
We help you work through the typical challenges that go with starting up a new business. Our support starts with 7 days of extensive training at our Scoop University in South Burlington, Vermont. Then we’ll come to your new store for 3 to 5 days of in-store support and staff training.
Additional support includes:
- Guidance in the planning of your Grand Opening event.
- Access to our proprietary information, including training manuals, recipes, operating standards and tools to help you give back to the communities in which you do business.
- On-going shop evaluations, training, operations support and business consultations from our dedicated field-based operations support team.
Alright, let’s talk costs
Store Opening Costs (includes franchise fee):
Full-Size Scoop Shop (approximately 750-1200 sq.ft.)
$237,800 to $539,300
In-Line Scoop Shop (approximately 450-650 sq.ft.)
$205,800 to $384,800
Kiosk (approximately 100 to 200 sq.ft.)
$155,900 to $331,800
Three Month's Operating Expenses (estimate):
$50,000 to $75,000
Lots of things can affect the costs of opening a Scoop Shop, such as location, site condition, and more. Still, we can give you some basic numbers. A more detailed set of cost estimates will be available to you in Item 7 of our Franchise Disclosure Document.
The estimate for “Three Months’ Operating Expenses” covers the funds you’ll need for things like Rent, Utilities, Payroll, Suppliers, etc. that aren’t covered by your shop’s revenue. This is because new businesses, of any kind, often have negative cash flow for the first few months. And we can’t be sure your new shop won’t need even more additional funds. If you open a Special Venue shop, your estimated costs may vary from those indicated above due to differences in initial fees, construction costs, and other factors. See our Franchise Disclosure Document for Special Venue Locations for further details.
Initial Franchise Fee:
$39,500 (traditional)
$18,000 (special venue)
Royalty: 3%
National Marketing Fee: 2%
Local Marketing Commitment: 2%
Our Franchise Fee is $39,500. A $10,000 deposit is paid with the signing of a Preliminary Agreement; the remaining $29,500 is paid upon signing a Franchise Agreement when you have an approved location. Our agreements have an initial ten-year term, and one option to renew for a second term with a $12,000 renewal fee. In certain captive locations, we offer a Special Venue Agreement for a $18,000 fee and a five-year term. Our Franchisees pay a 3% royalty and 2% national marketing support fee. They also spend a minimum of 2% a year in local marketing.
Ben & Jerry’s franchisees are eligible for expedited and streamlined Small Business Administration loan processing through the SBA’s Franchise Registry Program at www.franchiseregistry.com.
Where do we go from here?
We encourage you to have an initial interview with us to talk further, and most likely you have already received a call from Nancy; if not, please contact her at 800-710-7457. If you would like to get a jump on things, you can complete and submit the application package below, and we’ll unlock the more in-depth information on Ben & Jerry’s and our Franchise Opportunity that you can find in section 4.
If your application meets our criteria, we’ll continue getting to know each other better. We will share our Franchise Disclosure Document, invite you to speak with some franchisees, and give you every opportunity to explore the business. Then you’ll visit the Ben & Jerry’s company headquarters in South Burlington, Vermont for Discovery Day, the final step in the Discovery Process.