Franchise Deep Dive: Pelican's SnoBalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

What was started by a 13-year-old founder in 2001 has grown to nearly 200 locations in 14 states as customers can’t get enough of the fluffy ice treat.

By Victoria CampisiStaff Writer

2:14PM • 08/09/23

LAST UPDATED: 2/2024

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://franchising.pelicanssnoballs.com/

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 200

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $70,750 to $209,800

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): N/A

Pelican's SnoBalls is a franchise that specializes in selling New Orleans-style shaved ice treats known as "snoballs." Born from a tradition of combining smooth fluffy ice with bold flavors, the franchise has been serving over 100 flavors to its customers for over 21 years.

How Many Pelican's SnoBalls Locations Are There?

In 2001, 13-year-old founder Ansley Johnson shared a snoball, a product she fell in love with during trips to visit her grandparents in Chalmette, Louisiana, with the community of Garner, North Carolina. The founder performed most of the day-to-day operations, as her parents worked full-time, with some help from her younger brothers. The original store is still standing strong today, and is now owned and operated by one of Johnson’s brothers.

Despite a slow first year, Johnson began building the Pelican’s name with every snoball sold. The brand quickly became a favorite amid Louisiana’s hot summers. After a few years, Johnson’s father Adrian came on board full-time. The help from her father and attention from customers led people to begin inquiring about opening their own Pelican’s SnoBalls. Eventually, they decided to franchise the business and spread into other communities.

By 2017, there were 80 stores, and the Johnsons decided to sell the Pelican’s SnoBalls franchise. The current owners, Gregg Fatool and Randall Wright, are both franchisees with seven stores between them. This allows the franchise to continue to operate with the same standards it started with. Today, the business has grown exponentially with almost 200 stores in 14 states.

What Is the Pelican's SnoBalls Business Model?

The Pelican's SnoBalls model is designed to be scalable, focusing on market-leading, high-profit margins and low startup costs. Whether franchisees want to own one store in their hometown, or want to own five locations and run mobile events from each location, there are options when it comes to ownership. Franchisees can also operate a SnoMobile, which allows Pelican’s SnoBalls to travel to festivals, parties, school events and fundraisers.

Pelican’s SnoBalls features a small product line, which streamlines operations for franchisees. The brand is also designed to be a community business where families can go to spend time together and enjoy an inexpensive, quality product and experience.

“You are building communities and creating a destination atmosphere that families and friends from all around will come to enjoy,” the brand writes. “You are changing lives, one SnoBall at a time.”

How Much Can Pelican's SnoBalls Franchise Owners Make?

Pelican’s SnoBalls does not have a publicly available Item 19. However, it notes on its website that most of its franchisees have seen a return on investment (ROI) within two or three years.

To learn more, contact the team about reading the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), which will state the total earnings of any company or franchise-owned unit as a reference.

How Much Does It Cost To Open a Pelican's SnoBalls?

The initial investment range to open a Pelican’s Snoballs is $70,750 to $209,800, and the monthly royalty is 8%.

For the initial franchise fee and royalty, owners may benefit from:

Expertise and guidance throughout the startup and operation of your business
Extensive initial training program, along with providing additional training on-site at their Pelican’s Snoballs Franchise
Prototype and specifications for constructing the store, and for the exterior and interior design and layout, fixtures, furnishings, equipment, and signs
Representative to present at the store’s opening
Additional on-site pre-opening and opening supervision and assistance
Copy of the Confidential Owner’s Manual for the duration of the Franchise Agreement
Access to a vast network of Pelican’s Snoballs Franchisees.
On-site representatives for multiple days during the grand opening to make sure the store passes the initial inspection and everything runs smoothly

What Is the Franchise Fee for Pelican's SnoBalls?

The Franchise fee for Pelican’s Snoballs is $20,000 per location.

Who Is the Leadership of Pelican's SnoBalls?

Gregg Fatool — Co-owner
Randall Wright — Co-owner

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*This brand is a paid partner of 1851 Franchise. For more information on paid partnerships please click here.