Marble Slab Creamery

Marble Slab Creamery Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Ice cream shop franchise known for its made-to-order gourmet ice cream creations, offering a variety of flavors and mix-ins for a personalized dessert experience.

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.

Initial investment

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:

Restaurant Type Initial Investment Range
Traditional Restaurant $277,500 to $402,150
Non-Traditional Restaurant $190,800 to $327,150
Satellite $105,350 to $201,811
GREAT AMERICAN COOKIES-MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY co-brand $385,185 to $512,135

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).

Expense Type Cost Range
Franchise Fee $25,000
Grand Opening Marketing $3,000 to $5,000
Travel & Living Expenses While Training $1,000 to $3,000
Other Opening Inventory $5,700 to $15,150
Architectural Fees $7,000 to $12,500
Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment, & Decor $91,000 to $121,000
Signs $4,500 to $9,500
Prepaid Rent & Security Deposit $2,500 to $5,000
Leasehold Improvements $115,000 to $165,000
Utility Deposits $2,200 to $3,000
Professional Fees $1,000 to $6,000
POS Systems & Related Technology $7,600 to $14,000
Business Licenses & Permits (6 months) $1,500 to $2,500
Insurance (3 months) $2,500 to $3,500
Additional Funds (3 months) $8,000 to $12,000
Total Estimated Initial Investment $277,500 to $402,150

Franchise Disclosure Document

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Training

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.

Territory Protection

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.

Number of units

2023
Franchised units

231

256

252

Company-owned units

0

0

0

Total units

231

256

252

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