PRESENTATION OUTLINE
A Look Back (and Ahead!): How Marble Slab Creamery Has Grown in the Last Decade
Today, Marble Slab Creamery is a well-known national name in the ice cream treats industry, but in 1983, it was a single-unit Houston ice cream shop called Cones & Cream. From that humble beginning, it has grown to nearly 400 locations around the globe, and much of this growth has taken place over the last decade.
What are the reasons for this phenomenal growth? Can it be expected to continue? The answer to these questions is twofold: the future looks bright for Marble Slab to continue its rapid expansion, but the success of each individual store will hinge as much on the franchisee as on the merits of the franchise brand itself.
Topics of Discussion
- A Unique but Broadly Popular Product
- An Affordable Product with a Large Customer Base
- The Shattering of Unhealthy Connotations
1. Ice cream is consumed at least weekly by 86% of Americans. Many eat it as a year-round treat, though sales spike during the hot summer months. Some even enjoy it for breakfast—and no doubt have an extra scoop or two every first Saturday of February on National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. But Marble Slab is not an ordinary ice cream franchise—it is a gourmet ice cream franchise. Marble Slab offers thick, rich, creamy, fresh ice cream, which leads to the Marble Slab slogan “the freshest ice cream on earth.” As a franchisee, you will need to uphold the selling strength of Marble Slab products by dutifully making them all in small, daily batches that maximize freshness.
2. With an established customer base, wise use of marketing help, ongoing training opportunities, and consultations with the franchise operations team, you can turn the volume necessary to make cheap food franchises not only survive, but thrive. Discounts on stock and supplies, a low franchise royalty fee (only 6%), and choosing a wise location could all boost your ROI. Also, once you have learned the ropes, it is relatively easy to expand into multi-unit management (usually at least three to five stores), which multiplies your revenue streams.
3. Cheap food franchises and fast food franchises usually are closely associated with unhealthy foods. Marble Slab shatters that connotation. All ice cream served is made from fresh cream from local dairies and is free of all artificial flavorings, colorants, and preservatives. Beyond that, there are a dozen low-fat, no-sugar flavors, frozen yogurt, and smoothies for the extra-health-conscious ice cream lovers out there. Always keeping adequate low-calorie ice creams ready to serve and prominently displaying the fact you carry them will win extra sales and create customer loyalty.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. Franchise offerings are made by Franchise Disclosure Document only.
