The Fast Food Franchise Industry Has Thrived During the Pandemic: Here’s Why

The worldwide pandemic has transformed all our everyday lives, and many businesses are suffering through it- that is, many businesses except for fast food franchise restaurants like Fosters Freeze! While fine-dining, casual-dining, and fast-casual restaurants have all taken a significant hit amid the COVID-19 crisis, fast food franchise restaurants are flourishing, with some of our own Franchise Owners reporting record years! 

Although mostly allowed to stay open, restaurants have had to wiggle around many different standard operating procedures (SOPs) and adapt to the times. The word “pivot” has become an everyday term for restaurant franchises that have had to create workarounds to allow for takeout and delivery orders when their pre-pandemic sales were driven by in-restaurant dining.

Most restaurants have experienced a reduction in patrons, for a few pandemic-related reasons. Yet one type of restaurant has not only been surviving the pandemic, but thriving through it, and that’s fast food! So why is this?

Casual dining woes

Restaurants have had to change a lot of things in order to remain open during the pandemic, from letting go of staff to closing locations, but many restaurants are forced to shut down forever. In some places, it was even made illegal to visit restaurants and bars, whether between certain hours or simply at all times. 

One of the things restaurants have to do is reduce the number of patrons in their venue at any one time vastly due to the social-distancing rules that have been put in place. 

Ambience has also suffered, with stickers all over floors and often plastic sheets or plexiglass barriers everywhere.   

Additionally, staff, even with reduced hours, have to spend a lot of time learning new guidelines and procedures to keep themselves, each other, and customers safe. With customers dining in, remaining staff are under pressure to stay on top of cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and plenty of money is being spent on cleaning supplies. For example, restaurants have to ensure that tables are sanitized after a customer leaves and before a new one arrives.  Restaurants are also hard-pressed to get personal protective equipment for their staff when it is in such high demand by people working in the medical field. 

There are also times when dining-in isn’t allowed, such as during a lockdown or quarantine period, but hey, people still have cravings! Restaurants have had to adopt curbside pickup options, drive-thru options, and offer delivery. These take time and effort to set up. 

Even as dine-in restrictions lift and hope for a return to normal life grows, people are visiting restaurants less in a bid to save money, travelling shorter distances to restaurants when they do go, and really just try their best to stay home and cook there too. 

A fast food franchise for special treats

Although people have been trying to eat healthy, cook their own meals, and even diet since the start of the pandemic, fast food is a wonderful, familiar comfort food and there is simply no replacing it. At Foster’s Freeze, we’re serving up double the happiness and comfort, since we have our signature soft-serve ice cream treats in addition to hot-off-the-grill burgers, fresh-made fries, and so much more in our full-service fast food franchise locations- so you know we’re bringing smiles to our customers even when things get tough!

Fast food franchise restaurants have a few advantages over other types of casual dining. Although they aren’t an exception for social distancing and therefore less crowds, they have a high turnover rate since customers are in (in the rare instance they aren’t using the drive-thru!) and out super quickly. There aren’t huge or complicated menus, not very many new editions (generally, but especially not during the pandemic), and customers don’t take long to choose what they want and then pick up their orders.

Most fast food joints also have drive-thru options, which have been around a lot longer than other casual dining restaurants’ drive-thrus would have been. This means that they’re faster, run smoother, and therefore more profitable. 

Deliveries are an easily available option as well, with many fast food joints either having their very own delivery team or partnering with a food delivery provider. This makes comfort food easy and safe because it’s delivered right to your door!

Since fast food is – well, fast, there isn’t the ‘need’ to worry about customers wanting to have a dine-in experience. Most customers are happy getting their food and eating it at home, on the go, or in an outdoor space like a park. This is great for a number of reasons, the biggest being that fast food franchise restaurants don’t have to worry about disposable menus, and utensils like other casual dining spots do. fast food joints already have packaging in place for food deliveries, and a system that means customers get their food sooner than if they’d ordered from a typical casual dining place.

There are fewer items to be cleaned since everything is disposable, and far less spent on sanitization since customers come by and leave so quickly, often without touching anything that will be touched by other customers or staff. In drive-thru transactions, for example, the customer doesn’t really need to make contact with anything or anyone at any point, since paying by contactless methods exists now (thanks technology!). And with masking and hand washing requirements in place for all our staff, you can be sure that Fosters Freeze offers a safe, convenient fast food experience to each and every customer who visits our drive-thru window!

Come join us!

So are you interested yet in becoming the owner of a fast food franchise business that’s a California legend? Our food is quintessentially American, unbelievably tasty, and heartwarmingly classic, and if you’d like to serve that to the nation, then we want YOU!

Fosters Freeze can truly be described as California’s first fast food restaurant. Since 1946, we’ve been serving up mouthwatering American classics such as made-to-order burgers, sandwiches, French fries, and, of course, our signature soft-serve ice cream! With 60+ locations scattered throughout the Golden State, we’re committed to spreading sunshine, smiles, and California Positivity through tasty treats and delicious eats.

We’ve weathered economic storms since 1946, so COVID-19 is just another bump in the road. Our impressive legacy has cemented our position as a true California icon, making Fosters Freeze a LOT more than just another ice cream and burger franchise! Some of our Franchise Owners have been part of the Fosters Freeze family for over half a century, operating original locations that have been part of their family for generations!

Our nostalgic appeal, commitment to excellent customer service, and cult-classic status make us a fun and tasty favorite for fans of all ages. If you’d like to join the family, come visit our franchise website for more info!

Is there such a thing as a “recession-proof franchise industry?” After 75 years in the soft-serve business, we’d have to say that ice cream is about as close as you can get in food service to a recession-resistant business model!

During recessions, financial crises, and now a pandemic, it’s a common pattern: life gets an overhaul, people tighten their grips on their wallets, and everyone does whatever they can to save money. Many businesses are forced to scale back and even close, but not the ice cream business. Places that serve ice cream are sometimes referred to as a “recession-proof franchise” since they go pretty much untouched by economic downturn.

Here at Fosters Freeze, our signature soft-serve ice cream has weathered economic storms since 1946, and we’re going to let you in on why!

Treats in trying times- the secret to a recession-proof franchise

When times get rough, life seems bleak. Just look at the events of 2020 that, in many ways, continue to shape our society today – mandated stay-at-home orders, the inability to see people we care about, the end that just doesn’t seem in sight. People find ways to cope with their dull day-to-day routine since they can’t do the fun things they used to, and live in wariness of catching the virus. 

Food has always been a source of comfort and safety, and snacks and mealtimes can punctuate an otherwise boring day. Treating yourself to a wonderful food item brings joy and relaxation, but ice cream has a few special properties.

Ice cream is cold, sweet, and familiar. It’s such a simple treat that it makes troubles seem miles away. Its versatile and great for all occasions, in any weather and at any point of the day (hey, we think ice cream at breakfast is great!). It’s available in many places and is thought of as an ‘affordable luxury.’ That sure seems like an oxymoron, but all it means is that while ice cream is technically a luxury because you don’t need it to survive, it’s still a relatively cheap one. People can afford to grab an ice cream even when times are tough, which is what has led businesses in the ice cream industry to achieve “recession-proof franchise” status.

Ice cream is the perfect treat because it’s an affordable luxury that’s combined with timeless comfort. The creamy, soft smoothness just takes away all worries, even if momentarily. People need an easily accessible source of comfort that’s reliable, affordable, and that continues to be wonderful, no matter how many times you’ve had it. Ice cream also has an acute sense of nostalgia attached to it, from the days when our parents would take us for a cold treat! At Fosters Freeze, where we’ve been serving up a side helping of happiness and sunshine along with delicious ice cream delights since 1946, we’re here to help people recreate fond memories- and make new ones with their families- even when things seem bleak. That’s the power of California Positivity!

“Grab-n-go” service= a recession-proof franchise MUST!

Aside from demand (with customers continuing to want ice cream), the sweet treat has virtues on the selling side as well. Ice cream is an uncomplicated treat to serve. It has a quick turnaround rate, and a great grab-and-go nature. It doesn’t take long to serve an ice cream, and even with toppings, flavors and any other add-ons or modifications, customers have their ice cream in their hands in just a little bit!

This model also means that many customers can be (soft) served every day, even during a pandemic, as they will cycle through the location quickly. Our model is built upon walk-up and drive-thru service, making Fosters Freeze naturally equipped to handle increased customer demand in these areas. 

Franchise Owners see great success amid the COVID crisis, with some Owners even enjoying record sales. This is all thanks to the built-in convenience that our classic walk-up and drive-thru service models have. Our ice cream franchise has incorporated these models into our business model for decades, and is really well-positioned to handle catastrophic events such as these. Industry experts even say that providing contact-free food service is going to become more important as time goes on, and we’re positioned uniquely to do just that.
We’re glad that we’re able to stay open and serve America the comfort food it needs.

Fosters Freeze- a California legacy

Fosters Freeze is a truly American experience that has evolved into something of a cult classic for California natives and ex-pats across the country. We’ve been around for over 70 years and proudly serve all generations our delicious, high quality products that have stood the test of time. 

Our Founder, George Foster, started this whole thing on just some soft-serve ice cream, buying the exclusive rights to the proprietary recipe we still use today, and going into the soft-serve biz in post-WWII California before soft-serve ice cream was even a thing! 

From there, we’re proud to say that we’ve weathered all kinds of storms, and not only survived through about 12 recessions, but thrived through them, including the COVID-19 recession, where many of our Franchise Owners reported record numbers! We remained fully operational during lockdown – and actually saw a system-wide sales increase over the second quarter of 2020*- further contributing to the association between ice cream and recession-proof franchise concepts.

We’re proud to say that we’ve even become a bit iconic, with our Hawthorne, CA location inspiring the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” and even making cameos in Pulp Fiction and Charlie’s Angels. Basically, we’re about as California as it gets- and what could be better in a year that could use a little extra sunshine?

Serve up smiles in your community!

Fosters Freeze can truly be described as California’s first fast-food restaurant. Since 1946, we’ve been serving up mouthwatering American classics such as made-to-order burgers, sandwiches, French fries, and, of course, our signature soft-serve ice cream! With 60+ locations scattered throughout the Golden State, we’re committed to spreading sunshine, smiles, and California Positivity through tasty treats and delicious eats.

If you want to join us serving America some cool, sweet comfort during trying times, then you can be a Franchise Owner of a confections restaurant for as little as $178,000. Stand-alone and co-located restaurants start from $611,000 and $329,500 respectively. 

Our impressive legacy has cemented our position as a true California icon, making Fosters Freeze a LOT more than just another ice cream and burger franchise! Some of our Franchise Owners have been part of the Fosters Freeze family for over half a century, operating original locations that have been part of their family for generations! Our nostalgic appeal, commitment to excellent customer service, and cult-classic status make us a fun and tasty favorite for fans of all ages.

If you’d like to be a part of our family and bring the comfort and wonder of Fosters Freeze to people, we’d love to have you! Come visit our franchise website to find out more! 

* Numbers obtained from our 2020 FDD.

The desert is about to get a little cooler, thanks to our ice cream business! After 75 years as a California mainstay, Fosters Freeze is planning to venture a little further east, with a goal to open 4 to 10 Las Vegas-area locations in the near future. 

This good news, which was first featured in Eater magazine, must have come as a happy surprise for the numerous Sin City residents and tourists who used to live in California and have fond, tasty memories of our ice cream business. After all, Fosters Freeze can truly be called one of the first fast-food franchises in California, not to mention the entire United States! 

The Nevada takeover doesn’t stop in Vegas- as Fosters Freeze president and CEO Neal Dahya told Northern Nevada Business Weekly this month, we’re hoping to open 12-15 Nevada locations in total between the Reno, Las Vegas, and Henderson markets.  “We get quite a bit of folks through emails and social media saying, ‘When are you going to open one around us?’” Dahya told the local Reno-based news outlet, adding, “We know many people who grew up with Fosters Freeze are seeking a bite of nostalgic ice cream flavors and tasty hamburgers, and that makes the state [of Nevada] and Reno an ideal market. That, and the added ease of logistics and distribution capabilities.”

Our California Ice Cream Business is Going National!

Our planned Nevada expansion is just the beginning- we’re determined to make our ice cream business a household name in cities across the country, just as it already is all over California. We’re hearing from excited prospective franchise investors across America who want to bring the iconic Fosters Freeze ice cream business to their neck of the woods and spread a little California sunshine to all four corners of the U.S.A. 

First opened in Inglewood, California in 1946, Fosters Freeze has become part of the West Coast culture, with countless fans who have been coming in for tasty eats and special treats since childhood- and who now bring their kids along for the fun! With 65 locations currently open in the Golden State, we’re ready to share the magic with the rest of America, and we’re looking for just the right people to turn our California dream into a reality in their corner of the world.

Ready to be part of ice cream business history? For the first time in three-quarters of a century, Fosters Freeze is looking beyond the California border for qualified Franchise Owners to bring positivity, sunshine, and happiness to their hometowns. Visit our franchise website today to learn more about you can be part of this amazing opportunity.

What’s new with the Fosters Freeze ice cream franchise this week? We’ve got the scoop right here!

Meet the Leaders of our Executive Team!

Fosters Freeze corporate owners Neal and Nimesh Dahya were recently featured in a QSR Magazine article spotlighting their impressive background in the food-service industry. In the article, we get to learn about the Dahya brothers’ super achievements as fast food Franchise Owners prior to taking the helm at our ice cream franchise in 2015, including their ownership of over 200 Burger King franchise locations, as well as ownership of IHOP, Applebee’s, and Pizza Hut franchise locations.

In addition to Neal and Nimesh’s extensive food franchising pedigree, QSR gives an in-depth look at the story of how the Dahyas came to own our 66-unit ice cream franchise, as well as their vision for bringing Fosters Freeze locations to cities across the U.S. beginning this year, as well as a little background on how our long and storied history and place in California culture first interested the brothers in the Fosters Freeze concept. 

“We saw unlimited potential for Fosters Freeze because it was an iconic California brand that just needed to be updated with the times,” Neal told QSR. 

In the article, Nimesh also touches on the incredible success our Franchise Owners have had amid the COVID-19 crisis, with some Owners seeing record sales numbers during the pandemic, thanks to the built-in convenience of the classic walk-up and drive-thru service models that our ice cream franchise has incorporated into its business model for decades. He says, “I just think how our model was built from back in the days, we were positioned to be able to handle this catastrophic event.”

Our Ice Cream Franchise is Poised for Serious 2021 Growth!

QSR’s exclusive interview with Neal and Nimesh wasn’t the only Fosters Freeze mention in the news this month. Forbes Magazine contributor Gary Stern’s December 3 profile of our ice cream franchise not only highlighted our status as an iconic fixture in the California fast-food scene but also detailed our franchise growth strategy for the coming year, as well as the all-new restaurant design that is scheduled to debut in Salinas, CA in 2021 when legacy Franchise Owners Bruce and Jared Abbot open their fifth Fosters Freeze location.

“Once that opens, they’re able to see the full design that will help with our growth,” Neal said, referring to prospective Franchise Owners across Arizona and Nevada as our brand begins its groundbreaking ascent to national franchise status. 

Look out, America- 2021 is on pace to be the Year of Fosters Freeze! Stay tuned for more exciting updates on our ice cream franchise.

Interested in bringing a California legend to your community? We’ve got all the info you need for opening a Fosters Freeze ice cream franchise on our all-new website. Click here to learn more.

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