Why Customers Keep Coming Back to Fosters Freeze

Since 1946, Fosters Freeze has been bringing delightful soft-serve treats to its fans. Throughout the years, the ice cream and fast food brand has grown a dedicated customer following. Now, as Americans look for new career opportunities during the pandemic, Fosters Freeze presents a strong investment opportunity.

For generations, the frozen-dessert brand has been delighting customers with its delicious frozen treats and classic fast-food items like burgers, fries and chicken strips. By 2015, however, the momentum of the beloved franchise was beginning to dwindle as a result of not changing with the times. That’s when franchise experts and brothers Neal and Nimesh Dahya took over the brand.

With previous experience either owning, consulting for or investing in more than 180 restaurant franchise locations for brands including Burger King, Applebees, IHOP and Pizza Hut, the dynamic duo was prepared to take over and drive Fosters Freeze to success.

“Fosters Freeze has been a family favorite in California for generations now,” said president and CEO Neal Dahya. “There is such a sentimental attachment that long-time fans feel for Fosters, and we’re working to not only sustain those memories that folks have with the brand, but also to take the brand to the next level with new menu items. Customers are our priority, and we want to ensure they’re getting the same Fosters Freeze they’re craving, and then some.”

Fosters Freeze is well-known throughout California for its soft-serve cone and line of soft-serve-based desserts. From the franchisee to the corporate level, the brand exudes “California Positivity” and authenticity that embodies Foster Freeze’s number-one priority: to make the world a better place, even if just for a moment. Fans of the brand return again and again for the unwaveringly cheerful, wholesome atmosphere and, of course, delicious soft-serve delights.

“We truly believe that simple pleasures are the key to happiness,” said Neal. “Whether they’re looking to get away from their troubles for a minute or simply want some ice cream to brighten their day, we’re here to bring them what they need.”

For the last five years, the Dahya brothers have been working with the Fosters Freeze team to build operations manually, grow unit sales and ensure franchisees feel supported. Though leadership is still perfecting the model, store location remodels have been critical to driving new business. Since Fosters Freeze’s leadership rolled out remodels, locations that have applied them have gone up 25-30% in sales.

Despite the interior and exterior remodels of Fosters Freeze locations, the menu has gone back to the basics. Leadership decided to keep the brand’s food offerings simple so as to be able to compete with the likes of McDonald’s and Burger King, while sticking to what they do best: soft serve.

“Franchisees and past customers continue to come back to us saying, ‘When are you going to build in our state?’” said Neal. “Customers who were kids in the seventies are now taking their children there. The fact of the matter is, you can’t put a price on childhood. There just aren’t a lot of brands that get that kind of following, and we’re really proud to be continuing the legacy of families coming together over a simple, yet delicious, soft serve.”

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 *