Last week the MilkShake Factory opened in my hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Why was this a great day for me and my wife? Well, it was our latest franchise investment!

Why did we choose the MilkShake Factory? It’s a personal decision for every franchise investor. There is no “one size fits all” franchise opportunity. The model you invest in has to align with your personal skills, interests, goals, budget, culture fit, and desired time commitment. Figuring out whether it’s the right fit takes hours and hours of research.

Getting a taste and wanting more

My wife and I actually stumbled upon the MilkShake Factory brand 4 years ago at a time when it was not yet a franchise. We were visiting the University of Pittsburgh with our daughter. At the time, the MilkShake Factory had 11 corporate locations throughout the Pittsburgh area.

During an after-dinner walk, we came across a huge line of people on the sidewalk and stopped by to see what the fuss was all about.

We saw delicious-looking milkshakes in the hands of people exiting the storefront, and everyone had an enormous smile on their face. So, we got in line and decided to indulge ourselves. The line moved swiftly and we walked away with the best milkshakes we’ve ever tasted. The whole experience left a lasting impression.

Fast-forward 2 years, and as luck would have it, the MilkShake Factory partnered with an experienced franchisor to roll out their concept as a national franchise. Being in the franchise industry, I was introduced to them early on because I know the franchisor and had seen their success with several other brands in their portfolio.

My wife and I saw the potential investment as a recipe for success and after much more due diligence, we decided to go for it.

What makes the Milkshake Factory a sweet opportunity

This brand has so many things I look for when evaluating a franchise model.

The ROI makes sense for us. The unit level economics are solid. While the investment level is substantial as with any brick and mortar franchise, the average unit volume from their 11 corporate stores is also substantial.

We also looked beyond the numbers, although of course the numbers are extremely important.

We wanted to invest in a brand that had an experienced franchise team behind it. While the MilkShake Factory is an emerging brand with only 11 corporate locations, they have partnered with an experienced franchise group who has had success with many brands.

We’re not alone in our enthusiasm! The MilkShake Factory has already sold 100 franchise units in their first year with most franchisees committing to open 3 locations.

I don’t really consider this a traditional food franchise. There are no grease traps or kitchen hoods — only freezers and refrigerators. There is no waste or spoilage, which can lead to high cost of goods and decreased margins.

The “back of the house” for this brand is super simple — their proprietary high-efficiency production system makes operations a breeze.

Staffing has been easier than it is for a traditional food franchise, because a place where people come in with a smile on their face and leave with an even bigger smile makes for a great work environment.

They don’t need to compete with all the pizza, burger, chicken, taco, and sandwich shops that already saturate the market. A milkshake is actually a nice follow-up to a meal at one of those places, so their busiest hours are between 6:00pm and closing time (10:00pm).

And guess what? This almost never happens: the franchisor is fully transparent —they actually share complete profit and loss statements for every corporate store. Down to the EBITDA level! How often do you actually get to look under the hood like that? You’ll get to see just how profitable this business is — another differentiator from traditional food franchises.

Are you their next franchisee?

Ideal franchisee attributes include:

• Semi-absentee owners or owner-operators

• Culture- and team-building skills

• Community-driven leaders

• Strong business acumen to manage through KPIs

• Focus on quality and exceptional customer experience

• Brand champions

Investment parameters:

• Item 7 states initial investment between $476k–$739k

More info:

• 1,200–1,800 sq ft of retail space

• Single and multi-unit opportunities

• Wide open territory availability

• Upbeat and happy atmosphere

Call me for more details. I’d be glad to tell you all about the MilkShake Factory or help you find another franchise that’s a fit for you and your goals.

P.S. If this unique opportunity might be interesting to someone you know, please click here to connect them with me.