Since its founding just over 10 years ago, the made-to-order nitrogen ice cream franchise pioneer Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream (Chill-N) has consistently reinvested in its business to drive franchisee profitability and success. In 2023 alone, the brand was able to reduce opening costs for new franchise owners by 20%, which translates into nearly $100,000 in savings per store because of reengineered nitrogen tanks that now fit underneath ice cream production lines.
“By reengineering our nitrogen tanks underneath our production lines, we’re seeing far less residual nitrogen loss because the nitrogen doesn’t have to travel as far,” says David Leonardo, CEO of Chill-N. “Furthermore, under the counter tanks eliminate the need for additional rooms and nitrogen storage in our back-of-the-house, which also reduces our construction costs. That investment in technology is saving our franchisees nearly 20% on new shop openings, which equates to nearly $100,00 in savings. Those savings, coupled with our systemwide sales increases of nearly 45% are driving Chill-N’s growth like never before and accelerating interest in our brand and in the $11.2 billion U.S. ice cream industry.”
Given these competitive differentiators, it’s no surprise that Chill-N is enjoying explosive growth as it looks to open in two additional states this year that include South Carolina and New Jersey in addition to its continued Florida expansion. In 2023 alone, Chill-N saw unit growth expand by 40% while also increasing ice cream delivery by an incredible 80% across the system.
“We cracked the code on ice cream delivery, which gives our franchisees a viable and profitable new revenue stream,” adds Leonardo. “By leveraging our liquid nitrogen technology, we’re able to freeze our ice cream more densely, which allows it to arrive at the perfect consistency upon delivery. We’ve grown our delivery business system wide by 80% because we’re able to deliver on-the-spot custom made ice cream, which gives us additional touch points with our consumers outside of our four walls.”
Several recent franchise owners to join the Chill-N system include multi-unit franchisee Christopher Wirth who operates two Orlando locations with two more in planning; South Florida brothers Rafael Mesa Rodriguez and Edward Chestaro who own Chill-N Pembroke Pines with plans to open a second location in Miami-Dade; and Hugo Sappey, an entrepreneur and airline pilot who owns Chill-N Pompano Beach and plans to expand into Palm Beach County.
“As I was contemplating my exit from the corporate world, I knew I wanted to be in business for myself, but doing something that I would love each and every day,” says Wirth. “I looked at all kinds of verticals, but there was something special about Chill-N. It started because I was first a customer, but as I did my due diligence, I quickly realized the brand was doing things differently and leveraging technology to make ice cream incredibly fun for the consumer while building efficiency and scale for its owners. That kind of commitment to the customer experience as well to its franchisees was something I wanted to be a part of and help grow.”
With a best-in-class product, expert brand leadership, a targeted growth model, and an unrivaled franchise culture, Chill-N is well on its way to 50 locations by 2027.
“Each year we get better, stronger, and more diverse as a brand,” adds Leonardo. “Now in 2024, our technology driven approach is paying off as our franchisees are moving at a faster rate from signing to opening with a big reduction in costs. That, combined with our incredible family-first culture, amazing product, ability to deliver ice cream successfully, and our investment in our people is why we’re seeing double digit increases across our system. Ice cream is just a fun business to be in.”
