Ben & Jerry’s to open 30 more stores

The streets of Australia will see more Ben & Jerry's scoop shops as the company plans to open up to 30 franchise stores over the next 30 years.

This comes following the launch of its first franchise shop in Sydney’s Chatswood when it opened its doors in January 2012.

Johnny Hammond, Ben & Jerry’s brand manager said consumers requesting through the company’s Facebook page that they wanted more store locations.

“The decision to expand Ben & Jerry’s franchise business was led by consistent consumer demand but the many challenges of producing and distributing super premium ice cream meant we had to ensure the process was tried and tested before debuting a focused franchise business plan,” he said.

“With the success of the inaugural Chatswood Scoop Shop and the learnings from the many stores overseas, we’re confident that the Australian franchise model is fully formed and robust.”

Ben & Jerry’s has been operating worldwide for over 30 years and has used franchising as a development strategy for almost all of this time.

“At Ben & Jerry’s we are determined to avoid any potential issues by setting realistic growth ambitions, particularly in the first five years. We are looking to open a small number of scoop shops in high exposure areas. By keeping the number of stores low, we eliminate the risk of cannibalisation, which is a significant challenge for other franchise networks,” Hammond said.

Ben & Jerry’s is aiming to open up to 30 franchises in key sites along the east coast including Bondi Beach, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Sydney CBD in New South Wales, Chapel Street, Melbourne CBD, South Bank and St Kilda in Victoria, and Brisbane CBD, Broad Beach, South Bank and The Valley in Queensland.

Hammond concludes: “We’re on the hunt for a team of dedicated Scoop Shop owners to help us spread peace, love and ice cream across the country. Ben & Jerry’s has a strong philanthropic focus and we’re looking for enthusiastic people who share the Ben & Jerry’s brand values and are committed to making their Scoop Shop a real success.”