Business Description

Welcome to a franchise opportunity that can only be described as delectable. Cold Stone Creamery was listed #14 overall and #1 in the ice cream and frozen desserts category on Entrepreneur magazine's 2007 "Franchise 500". It takes a very special person to be awarded a Cold Stone Creamery Franchise. That's because we consider our store owners our partners who will share in the continued success of Cold Stone Creamery. Our phenomenal success has only been possible because of our amazing franchisee community.

Franchisor Background

Year Established:  1988

Franchising Since:  1994

Operating Units:
Franchised Units:	1,294	97.5%
Company-Owned Units:	33	2.5%
Total Operating Units:	1,327	100.0%
Geographic Distribution: U.S.: 1,327 98.8% In 47 States Canada: 0 0% In 0 Canadian Provinces International: 16 1.2% In 2 Foreign Countries   Total: 1,343 100.0%

North America:
States/Provinces with the largest number of operating units:

Density	Units
1. California	291
2. Florida	88
3. Illinois	52

Registered in Following Registration States: California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, District Of Columbia, Alberta

Financial Requirements

Investment:
Minimum Net Worth:	$125K
Cash Investment:	$50K
Total Investment:	$294-438K
Average Total Investment:	$366K
Fees:
Initial Franchise Fee:	$42K
Average Franchise Fee:	$42K
On-Going Royalty:	6%
Average Royalty:	6%
Advertising Fee:	3%

Average Number of Employees: 3 Full-time, 9 Part-time

Space Needs (in square footage): 1,000

Preferred Sites: Strip Center

Other Sites:

Encourage Conversions? No

Earnings Claims Provided?: No

Franchisee Qualifications
Ranked from 1 (unimportant) to 5 (important):
Financial Net Worth:	2
General Business Experience:	3
Specific Industry Experience:	1
Formal Education:	1
Psychological Profile:	3
Personal Interview(s):	5
Terms of Contract
Term of Initial Contract:	10/5/5/5 Year(s)
Term of Renewal Period:	Year(s)
Passive Ownership:	Allowed, But Discouraged
Area Development Agreements?	No
Sub-Franchising Contracts?	No
Franchisees Allowed to Expand Within Territory?	Yes
Support and Training
International Franchise Association:	Yes
Canadian Franchise Association:	No
Franchisee Association/Member:	No
Size of Corporate Staff:	180
Site Selection Assistance?	Yes
Lease Negotiation Assistance?	Yes
Financial Assistance?	No
Marketing Support:
Co-Op Advertising:	Yes
National Advertising:	Yes
Regional Advertising:	No
Local Advertising:	Yes
Marketing Materials:	None Specified
Additional Services:	None Specified
Other Marketing Support:	None Specified
On-Going Support:
Central Data Processing:	Not Applicable
Central Purchasing:	Not Applicable
Field Operation Evaluation:	Included in Fees
Field Training:	Included in Fees
Initial Store Opening:	Included in Fees
Inventory Control:	Not Applicable
Franchisee Newsletter:	Included in Fees
Regional or National Meetings:	Included in Fees
800 Telephone Hotline:	Not Applicable
Training:
1. Scottsdale, AZ	Combination of In-Store Training and at Headquarte
Expansion Plans
Projected New Units Over Next 12 months: 136 U.S.: Yes, All United States Canada: Yes, All Canada Overseas: Yes, All Countries	Request Franchisor Info   Submit an online form to receive information from Cold Stone Creamery.