Ritter's Frozen Custard Franchise
Ritter's Frozen Custard is one of the fastest growing premium ice cream franchise chains in the country with stores in the south and Midwest. The brand specializes in premium frozen custard, and some shops also sell burgers.
$365,500
$25,000
18
2008
Indianapolis,IN
Andy Unanue
About Ritter's Frozen Custard
Ritter's Frozen Custard (sometimes known as Ritter's Frozen Custard & Burgers) is one of the four franchise brands managed by TRUFOODS, LLC. Ritter's "shoppes" primarily focus on super-premium ice cream known as frozen custard. There are over 120 flavors of Ritter's frozen custard, and each one is made with proprietary ingredients and techniques. Each traditional Ritter's shoppe offers premium frozen custard made daily using in-store equipment. In most cases, restaurants sell half a dozen flavors of frozen custard in cones, sundaes, and smoothies. Other available treats include Italian ices, ice cream cakes and pies, and "glaciers." Glaciers contain frozen custard blended with candy, toppings, and/or fruit.
Traditional Ritter's shoppes are located in inline shopping centers or freestanding buildings. These full-service locations generally offer hot dogs, burgers, and fries along with frozen custard. "Scoop shoppes" are available as multi-unit franchises. These micro-satellite retail locations don't offer food but sell freshly made frozen custard delivered daily from the traditional Ritter's shoppe in the local area. There are also potential co-branding franchise opportunities with other TRUFOODS, LLC brands and outside brands that are already established.
Franchise Unit Trends
18
-
-
* in 2024
Franchise Fees
$25,000
Veteran's Fee: $12,500
5.0%
Gross Sales
2.0%
Gross Sales
Why Choose Ritter's Frozen Custard?
Ritter's may be a good choice for franchisees looking to open ice cream shoppes in the south or Midwest. TRUFOODS, LLC encourages a multi-unit business model where franchisees first open a traditional Ritter's shoppe and then branch out to retail-only micro-satellite shoppes.
An essential feature of a traditional Ritter's location is the on-site equipment to make premium frozen custard. Once this restaurant is established, franchisees can open one or more "scoop shoppes" in the local area. Ice cream inventory for these micro-satellite stores comes from the franchisee's traditional Ritter's store. These retail shoppes are generally well-suited to locations with high foot traffic: airports, entertainment venues, and shopping centers.
Starting Costs & Investment Requirements
$365,500 - $1,107,900
-
$365,500
Training & Support
Franchisees are required to complete a training program of 21 days, hosted by a certified training store (franchise in operation). Additionally, a team of Franchise Business Consultants will assist for approximately a week during the opening of the new franchise. Following initial training, franchisees may receive additional guidance from a support team. Annual franchisee training events and coaching visits from the Executive Director of Operations also occur.
History
The first Ritter's shoppe was opened by John Ritter in 1989 in Franklin, Indiana. Opening an ice cream shop was a second career for John, who entered the restaurant industry after spending 35 years in film animation production. His inspiration came from an after-school job at an ice cream shoppe where he realized ice cream tasted best right after it came out of the machine before a long time in the freezer.
John's goal in opening his own shoppe was to offer customers smooth, creamy ice cream fresh from the machine. He and his wife traveled around to discover the best recipe and techniques for making ice cream and settled on frozen custard, a super-premium dessert based on a French recipe over a century old. Compared to standard ice cream, frozen custard doesn't incorporate as much air during the churning process, resulting in a creamy, rich texture.
RFC Franchising LLC franchised Ritter's Frozen Custard locations from 2003 until 2008. Ritter's LLC formed in 2008 and acquired all the assets from RFC Franchising LLC. Since 2008, TRUFOODS, LLC has been the franchising company for Ritter's Frozen Custard. Ritter's LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TRUFOODS, LLC.
Ideal Candidate
TRUFOODS, LLC prefers franchisees who want to open and operate multiple units. Good candidates would have the desire and financial ability to open more than one Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise in a specific area.
Restaurant and Food Franchises
Franchises up to $500,000
This web page is not endorsed by or affiliated with any franchisor. Product and company names are trademarks of their owners and are used for referential purposes only.