Ice cream - very few other words in the English language elicit such an emotional response, drawing the child out of the adult and the excitement out of the child. We simply love ice cream in the UK - demonstrated by the 336 million litres consumed yearly.
It's true; we don't need the sunshine in the UK to reach for a frozen treat. And this is excellent news for the many ice cream franchises looking for people with a passion for the product to take on new opportunities to share the gelato love.
From ice creams and lollies to smoothies and shakes, the UK loves their frozen and chilled treats, predicted to bring in £504.6m in 2022, growing 2.2% per year (on average) from 2017 to 2022. And according to IBISWorld, ice cream production has increased more quickly than the general manufacturing sector.
In recent years, ice cream has graduated from its standard vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate incarnations to a vast array of exotic flavours, including unconventional ingredients, such as carrot, beer, cookie dough, cheese, and cereals. Additionally, with the rising popularity of veganism, vegan alternatives have become incredibly popular nationwide.
And images of ice cream products are regularly trending on Instagram - so social media savvy business owners can harness the power of the hashtag to broaden their audience reach.
Ice cream is no longer considered a summer treat, with most ice cream franchises offering year-round fare in shopping malls, event venues, cinemas and theatres, and kiosks in busy shopping districts.
So, if you are passionate about ice cream and all the dairy-free alternatives and are interested in venturing into the world of dessert franchises, consider investing in an ice cream franchise. And help put smiles on faces everywhere you trade.
Franchising
Franchising is regularly hailed as the simplest way of going into business. This is because taking on an ice cream franchise brings an extensive array of benefits, including:
- Recognisable branding (that your future customers already love!)
- A tried-and-tested flavour palette that has proven to resonate with customers
- An existing supply chain, ensuring you receive the best quality ingredients at the most competitive price
- Online authority and established social media presence
- An excellent reputation for great value and flavour innovation
When you invest in a franchise, you gain a ready-to-go business. But no parent company will hand over their brand without some insurance that you're capable of maintaining their hard-earned reputation. And it's for this reason that most parent companies offer world-class training opportunities that ensure you can support their standards and thrill your customers (so they keep coming back).
Compare these great benefits with an independent business, starting from scratch - especially as the first five years of trading are particularly challenging for many indies. They enter the marketplace completely unknown, with no reputation, customer base, or supply chain. This means that indies often struggle to establish themselves against the authority and reputation of their beloved competitors.
Ice cream franchises, on the other hand, offer ongoing business support to help you maximise your business prospects. And some franchise parents offer HR functionality so that your new business complies with all the necessary food-, financial-, and business regulations.
Facts About Ice Cream Franchises
The ice cream sector is constantly innovating, introducing new concepts to a public eager to try the next new thing. Recent trends include:
- Rolled ice cream - made by freezing thin sheets of ice cream custard, then scraping them into cigarillo scrolls.
- Bubble waffle cones - pancake mixture offering a waffle consistency, filled with a range of premium ice creams and sorbets
- Vegan/dairy-free choices
- Black ice cream - traditional ice cream recipes which include activated charcoal.
And whether you’re looking to open an ice cream parlour or set up a kiosk or unit in a shopping mall or high street, there’s an ice cream franchise suited to your aspirations. Ice cream parlours often offer the broadest range of products, including traditional cafe fare and indulgent cakes, while kiosks demand lower rental and high product turnover.
But it's not all about customers coming to you because delivery services such as Just Eat and Deliveroo have made an indelible impact on the way we eat and consume treat products. Developing a delivery division of your new ice cream franchise business will help ensure your future economic stability.
Ice cream franchises sell:
- Sundaes
- Crepes
- Waffles
- Shakes
- Choc-ices
- Ice lollies
- Ice cream bowls
- Ice cream-based desserts such as Baked Alaska and Arctic Rolls
Franchising Vs. Independent
You need collateral to start any new business, whether you're looking to start up your own niche 1950s-style ice cream parlour or invest in a ready-made business with an established ice cream franchise. And this is where franchising often comes into its own.
Banks and moneylenders often favour franchises because the business model has been thoroughly road-tested and proven sustainable, profitable, and capable of growth. When you invest in a franchise, you benefit from the support of an established expert in your field, which - again - helps mitigate risk in the eyes of moneylenders.
Compare that with an independent business owner starting up without the expert guidance of an experienced partner. With franchises, the product line has been developed to resonate with the customer base; however, indies start up without a clear understanding of how their products will go down with their future customers.
So, franchisees often receive their funding at reasonable interest rates while indies represent a significantly larger risk. For this reason, many indies receive poor interest rates when they do achieve their startup funds, making it more difficult to recoup their startup costs.
And it’s for this reason that many indies struggle to establish themselves in a saturated marketplace.
However, ice cream franchisees enjoy a raft of benefits from the moment they open their doors to the public, including:
- A customer base who already knows, trusts, and loves the brand
- A fully operational supply chain
- Evidence of market viability
Ice cream Franchises
Check out Franchise Direct's delightful selection of ice cream franchises, and help bring smiles to your customers on bright sunny days and grey rainy days alike!
Find your brand new start with Franchise Direct.