If you are looking for information on the Ritter's Frozen Custard franchise business opportunity, Ritter's ice cream franchises or Ritter's Frozen Custard franchising, then you have come to the right place.
This is Premium Ice Cream! Ritter's Frozen Custard is an award winning premium ice cream franchise. We offer a proprietary, super-premium ice cream menu, served in an engaging, clean, friendly atmosphere. Ritter's signature products include the famous "Glacier", which is fresh-made frozen custard blended with popular fruit or candy toppings.
Other products include Ritter's popular specialty sundaes (Turtle Sundae, Strawberry Delight, Grizzly Cub Sundae, Mud Sundae, Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae, Peanut Butter Mountain and Banana Split) Banana Split), as well as shakes, malts, smoothies, cakes and novelties.
What is Ritter's looking for in a franchisee? Successful franchisees who are motivated, high-energy individuals that demonstrate a love and passion for the product and concept. Food or retail experience is preferred, but not required.
Single unit franchises are available for qualified franchise candidates. For franchisees with multi-unit restaurant experience, multi-unit territories are available. Future expansion to multiple units is available for single unit franchisees in good standing.
Ritter's Frozen Custard has a number of retail options available. Shoppe locations include:
Ritter's Frozen Custard training and support begins with a comprehensive three week training period at a certified Ritter's training facility. During initial training, you'll become familiar with the history of Ritter's, the importance of our philosophy and Brand positioning. You'll become thoroughly immersed in our operations manual, which details standard operating procedures for all facets of operating and managing a Ritter's Frozen Custard Shoppe.
As a Ritter's Franchisee, you'll also get business management training which covers our POS System, inventory management, labor controls, food cost analysis, and much more. You'll be trained in a hands-on, real world environment.
When your opening week arrives, our experienced training staff will come to your location to assist you through your initial opening period. After your store has opened, our Franchise Business Consultants will continue to make regular on-site visits. All this will assist you in your efforts to achieve even greater results.
Marketing - We provide a full range of:
Purchasing - Ritter's has procurement contracts and relationships with the vendors you need to operate your business
Real Estate - We assist you in site selection and will introduce you to our broker network
Construction - We will guide you through all the phases of building and opening your Ritter's Frozen Custard Shoppe
In addition, you will have access to our private franchise intranet system, which serves as a repository for a wide range of business operations and marketing information. Further, the Ritter's intranet offers extensive intercommunication tools such as proprietary e-mail, chat rooms, FAQ sections and customizable individual web pages, to name a few.
The information presented may have changed since first published. We recommend that you always verify fees, investment amounts and offers with the business opportunity directly prior to making a decision to invest.
1. What training and ongoing support do you provide?
You want to know what happens after you pay the initial fee. A strong franchisor provides comprehensive pre-opening training, site-selection help, operational playbooks, and continuous assistance with marketing, technology, and supply chains.
2. What is the total initial investment, and did actual startup costs match the estimates in Item 7 of the FDD?
The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) lists estimated startup costs in Item 7, but real-world expenses can run higher. Asking how closely current owners tracked to these estimates reveals if you need extra working capital or if hidden fees exist.
3. How do royalties and local/national marketing fees impact profitability?
You need to understand ongoing financial obligations-such as monthly royalty percentages and ad fund contributions-and evaluate whether the brand value and support justify cutting into your profit margins.
4. What are the common challenges new franchisees face, and how do you help them overcome them?
Transparent franchisors will openly discuss real hurdles like local competition, tight labor markets, or supply chain bottlenecks, and show you the exact playbook or field support they offer to solve them as well as allowing you to speak with other franchisees.
5. How many franchise locations have closed or left the system in the past few years, and why?
High turnover, store closures, or quiet franchise exits are major red flags. This question measures system stability, territory health, and whether the corporate team addresses struggling owners or lets them fail.
Food and Beverage Franchises