December 20, 2024

Client Spotlight: Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream

Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is more than just an ice cream brand; it’s a revolutionary experience that blends super-premium ice cream with a love for Early American history. Founded by Brian Brooker, this unique concept brings the spirit of America’s Founding Fathers to life with themed ice cream taverns, immersive decor, and historically inspired flavors. In this interview, Brian shares what sets Brooker’s apart, why he chose franchising as the path to growth, and how partnering with SMB Franchise Advisors has fueled their expansion.

Spotlight Author: Kayla Mowery

Expert Review by: Dawn Abbamondi

Brian Brooker, Founder

Introduction to Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream

SMB Franchise Advisors: In a few sentences, describe what your brand does and what your company is all about.

Brian Brooker, Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream: At Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream, customers enjoy a fun fusion of super-premium ice cream and Early American history. Brooker’s Founding Flavors is a revolutionary brand that captures the heart and soul of American liberty. Each of our ice cream taverns embodies the spirit and passion of Revolutionary America, the Founding Fathers, and other Early American founding figures.

What Sets Brooker’s Founding Flavors Apart

Liberty Bell Sundae

SMB: What makes your product (and service) unique?

Brian: Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream provides an amazing Disney-like dining experience for its customers. This American Founding theme permeates every aspect of the business. The theme is utilized in everything we do, including the retail signage, store decor, store music, employee costuming, product names, flavor names, and marketing. Brooker’s is a business that is re-inserting awareness of America’s Founding and America’s Founding Principles back into the American culture and American discussion. “A spoon full of ice cream helps the founding principles go down.”

Why Brooker’s Founding Flavors Chose Franchising

SMB: What inspired you to franchise your business?

Brian: Brooker’s operates at 3 times the industry average and started gaining national brand recognition within its second of six years of operation. Having completed six years of success and system perfection, the Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream brand is ready for national expansion through franchising. We have chosen the franchising pathway because continuing to grow on our own is too slow and growth through private equity required an exit strategy timeline that was too compressed for us. Among the several reasons that we prefer franchising as our growth pathway is the Greek city-state aspect of franchising. Like the laboratory of self-governance provided to the ancient Greeks by their city-state model, franchising leverages the strength of all the individual experience and expertise of each franchisee to improve the brand.

Partnering with SMB Franchise Advisors

SMB: Why did you partner with SMB Franchise Advisors?

Brian: An old adage that has served me well in past endeavors is, “Don’t be too cool for school.” Having the humility to learn from others who have gone before you goes a long way in professional life. I feel we at Brooker’s have done a great job building a successful ice cream brand but we had no experience with franchising. Thus we searched for a franchising consultancy to help us launch this new phase of business growth. Having attended franchising conferences across the country in the year leading up to our launch into franchising we learned that SMB Franchise Advisors has the reputation of being the best franchise consultancy available. Thus, we chose SMB to work with which has proven to be an excellent choice.

Always served with a smile

Franchise Growth with SMB

SMB: How many units did you have before SMB? How many units have you grown to since partnering with SMB?

Brian: We had four units before SMB. Sold nine in the first three months of selling (three single units and two MUDA* with three units each.) *Multi-Unit Development Agreement

Brooker’s Long-Term Vision for Franchising

SMB: What are your long-term goals for your franchise? How big do you want to grow your brand?

Brian: Ice cream world domination is Brooker’s goal. We intend to franchise nationwide and internationally.

Line up for some ice cream and history!

Advice for Aspiring Franchisors

SMB: What advice do you have for people looking to franchise?

Brian: Start with a great concept, then put in sufficient years to perfect it before launching into franchising.