Fosters Freeze Targets Arizona for Growth Close To Its Home State of California

Fosters Freeze has long been a West Coast fast-food tradition.

Since 1946, the brand has been serving soft serve cones and desserts to fans across areas of the West Coast, including its home state of California. Now, Fosters Freeze is looking to expand its footprint further by bringing more of its made-to-order burgers, fries and soft serve ice cream treats to a number of locations throughout Arizona.

“The question we’re constantly hearing is, ‘When are you coming to my state?’” Neal Dahya, president and CEO of Fosters Freeze said. “So we know the demand is everywhere, but we’re being very careful to grow strategically. Right now, we’re looking for qualified candidates across Arizona. There’s no limit to how far we can take this.”

The California-based brand is looking specifically to Arizona in its growth journey because of the state’s close proximity to its home state of California. The many residents of Arizona who grew up with Fosters Freeze and are seeking a bite of its nostalgic ice cream flavors and tasty hamburgers make the state an ideal market — that, and the added ease of logistics and distribution capabilities. And, with headquarters nearby, the brand’s newest franchisees can look to corporate to be on call for an added layer of support.

Neal and his brother Nimesh, who is the vice president of brand growth for Fosters Freeze, purchased the franchise only five years ago, after its previous corporate team did little to encourage growth and guide its franchisees toward success. Since then, the brothers have pledged to make the experience of franchising and the investment opportunity that much better.

“This is a franchise that for many years just wasn’t treated as a franchise,” Neal said. “Every franchisee owned and managed their store pretty much independently, without any support from the corporate team, and the corporate team put virtually no investment into growing the brand. Now, we’re seeing a lot of excitement from franchisees. The general feeling is that we finally have an opportunity to make the most of a brand that has so much potential.”

When it comes to the specific areas of Arizona Fosters Freeze is looking to grow in, the Dahya brothers aren’t looking to limit themselves to just big cities like Tucson and Phoenix. Territories with the fan-favorite brand will be available across multiple Arizona cities, including Phoenix with the potential for up to 11 locations; Tucson with the potential for up to five locations; Mesa with the potential for up to four locations; Chandler with the potential for up to two locations; Glendale with the potential for up to two locations and Scottsdale with the potential for up to two as well. And, as an added incentive to sign, Fosters Freeze is waiving 50% of all franchise fees until December 31, 2020.

As Fosters Freeze continues to adapt to the needs of its customers, better support its franchisees and achieve success in its growth efforts, its flexible, small-footprint store model features walk-up windows that make socially distant takeout meals easy to serve.

Fosters Freeze currently has 66 restaurants open across the West Coast, with plans to grow through Arizona and Nevada — for now. The Dahyas are confident that continued positive brand awareness and franchisee happiness will soon take Fosters Freeze to locations throughout the entire United States.

The initial investment to begin operation of a single, stand-alone Fosters Freeze restaurant ranges from $611,500 and $1,009,000. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single confections restaurant is $178,000 to $331,500. The initial investment needed to open a single co-located restaurant is $329,500 to $658,500. For more information on franchising with Fosters Freeze, please visit https://www.fostersfreeze.com/franchise/.