Marble Slab Creamery began in 1983 in Houston, Texas, founded by chefs Penn and LaPage, who pioneered the use of a “frozen slab” for blending ice cream with toppings on a chilled marble surface. This innovative technique quickly distinguished the brand in the crowded ice cream industry.
Franchising started in 1984, and the company's headquarters is now in Beverly Hills, California. Marble Slab Creamery is celebrated for its hand-mixed, super-premium ice cream, crafted fresh in-store in small batches. They use local dairy and high-quality ingredients sourced globally to ensure exceptional flavor.
What sets Marble Slab Creamery apart is its commitment to freshness and its engaging, customizable customer experience. Guests can design their own unique creations by choosing from a variety of ice cream flavors, mix-ins, and freshly made waffle cones, ensuring each visit feels exciting and personalized.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Marble Slab Creamery offers 4 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Marble Slab Creamery franchised Traditional Restaurant. For more information on the costs required to start a Marble Slab Creamery franchise, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
Marble Slab Creamery offers 4 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Marble Slab Creamery franchised Traditional Restaurant. For more information on the costs required to start a Marble Slab Creamery franchise, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
Marble Slab Creamery provides comprehensive training to its franchisees, covering both pre-opening and post-opening phases.
Before the opening of the restaurant, the franchisee must ensure that the manager and four additional individuals designated as assistant managers or shift leaders complete an initial training program at the franchisor's certified training center.
This program includes classroom sessions and on-the-job training, supervised by the franchisor's training personnel.
Furthermore, an executive training program is also required for one or more owners of the franchise.
The training includes instruction on operational procedures, management techniques, and food preparation methods, ensuring consistency with the franchisor's standards.
The franchisor provides most instructional materials and supervision, while franchisees are responsible for expenses like transportation, lodging, meals, and statutory worker's compensation insurance. Additional training may also be required for subsequent staff or updates, with costs borne by the franchisee.
Marble Slab Creamery offers limited territorial protection to its franchisees. While the franchise agreement may grant an exclusive territory, the franchisor retains the right to establish additional outlets or offer other products and services within the territory.
This allows the franchisor to compete directly with franchisees, even within the same geographic area.
In some cases, the agreement includes provisions for right of first refusal, enabling franchisees to acquire new opportunities within their assigned area before these are offered to others.
However, this protection is conditional and depends on the franchisee's compliance with the agreement. Thus, while some measures of territorial exclusivity are provided, the franchisor's operational flexibility may still affect a franchisee's market.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
?
?
?
?
Below are some of
Marble Slab Creamery
key competitors in the
Ice Cream
sector.
252
$25,000
$333,000
$514,000
n.a.
$251,000
$xxx,xxx
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Fosters Freeze is a quick-service restaurant franchise offering burgers, sandwiches, and soft-serve desserts, serving families and everyday diners, and known for California heritage, nostalgic drive-in vibes, and a menu of classic comfort food and signature soft-serve treats enjoyed across generations.
?
?
The Dolly Llama is a dessert franchise offering Belgian waffles, waffle cones, and artisan ice cream, serving families, students, and social media–savvy dessert lovers, and known for over-the-top creations, Instagram-ready presentation, and a fun, modern café environment.
?
?
I Scream Gelato is a gelato-and-dessert franchise offering artisan gelato, sorbets and Italian-style sweets, serving families and dessert fans, and known for handcrafted product, high-quality ingredients and upscale café ambience.
?
?
Tipsy Scoop is a dessert-bar franchise offering alcohol-infused ice creams and boozy creations in a social lounge setting, serving young adults and nightlife patrons, and known for inventive flavors, trendy atmosphere, and strong franchise growth opportunities.
?
?
Yogurtland is a self-serve frozen-yogurt franchise offering premium flavors, toppings, customization and café environment, serving dessert lovers and families, and known for global reach, brand strength and franchisee-friendly model.
?
?
MILLIE’S HOMEMADE is a bakery-café franchise offering cookies, brownies, desserts and café beverages, serving family-friendly shoppers and gift buyers, and known for made-from-scratch recipes, warm ambiance and scalable franchise design.
?
?
Choosing a franchise goes beyond reviewing fees and financials — it requires an honest assessment of your goals, skills, and risk tolerance. This article outlines the key questions prospective owners should ask before committing. It helps clarify whether the opportunity aligns with your lifestyle, long-term plans, and operational preferences.
Speaking with current and former franchisees is one of the most reliable ways to understand how a franchise really operates. This guide explains how to conduct validation calls, what questions to ask, and how to identify patterns in feedback. It provides a practical framework for uncovering real performance expectations and support quality.
Not all franchise opportunities offer the same potential. This article breaks down how to evaluate a brand’s industry, financial health, support systems, and competitive positioning. It helps prospective buyers compare options and identify franchises with strong long-term viability.
A clear, well-structured business plan is essential for securing financing and preparing for the realities of franchise ownership. This article explains how to build a plan that covers market analysis, operations, staffing, and local marketing. It also outlines how to create realistic pro forma financials, including revenue projections, startup costs, and break-even analysis. Readers gain a practical framework they can use when applying for loans or planning their first years of operations.
.png)
