Smoothie Factory vs Dippin' Dots Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Smoothie Factory vs Dippin' Dots including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
  Smoothie Factory Dippin' Dots
Investment 141500 - 424500 112204 - 366950
Franchise Fee 0
Royalty Fee 5% Varies
Advertising Fee Varies
Year Founded 1996 1988
Year Franchised 1997 2000
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements
  Smoothie Factory Dippin' Dots
Experience * A 620 or higher credit score * Investment capital equal to 30% of the purchase price * $10-$15K of working capital General business experience

Financing Options
  Smoothie Factory Dippin' Dots
 
Franchise Fees No
Start-up Costs No
Equipment No
Inventory No
Receivables No
Payroll No

Training & Support
  Smoothie Factory Dippin' Dots
Training On-The-Job Training: 12 hours Classroom Training: 19 hours
Support Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Ad Templates Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
Operations 95% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 3 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
  Smoothie Factory Dippin' Dots
US Expansion Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
International Expansion Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile
Investment
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
Franchise Fee
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
Royalty Fee
Smoothie Factory 5%
Dippin' Dots Varies
Advertising Fee
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots Varies
Year Founded
Smoothie Factory 1996
Dippin' Dots 1988
Year Franchised
Smoothie Factory 1997
Dippin' Dots 2000
Term Of Agreement
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots 5 years
Renewal Fee
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots Varies


Business Experience Requirements
Experience
Smoothie Factory * A 620 or higher credit score * Investment capital equal to 30% of the purchase price * $10-$15K of working capital
Dippin' Dots General business experience

Financing Options
 
Franchise Fees
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
Start-up Costs
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
Equipment
Smoothie Factory}
Dippin' Dots
Inventory
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
Receivables
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
Payroll
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots

Training & Support
Training
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots On-The-Job Training: 12 hours Classroom Training: 19 hours
Support
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots Ad Templates Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
Operations
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots 95% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 3 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
US Expansion
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots
International Expansion
Smoothie Factory
Dippin' Dots Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe