Albert Thai and Kent Hildred are Australia’s newest Ben and Jerry’s franchisees, having launched their first store at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on 26 November last year. Here, Franchising chats to the duo about their experiences so far…

1. Why did you decide to buy a franchise?

Buying into a franchise ensured we didn’t have to start a business from scratch and could start a business with a brand that had a long track record.

We had observed the long term success of the Ben & Jerry’s brand overseas and attended the grand opening of the Chatswood store.

From thereon in, we felt the brand was a good fit from both a product and social mission perspective.

The location at Bondi Beach, one of the most iconic locations in Australia, was an obvious choice and with only a select number of Ben & Jerry’s franchises open in Sydney, none of which are in the Eastern Suburbs, we saw a gap in the market for the signature chunks and swirls.

We also decided to buy a franchise because we knew we would have lots of upfront and continued support from the Australian Ben & Jerry’s team.

2. How long have you been in the system?

We opened our Bondi Beach Scoop-Shop on 26 November 2012.

3. How did you come to decide on this brand?

We have been big fans of Ben & Jerry’s after seeing the brand whilst travelling overseas. When it launched in Australia, we realised there were many factors that set Ben & Jerry’s apart from competitors, both in terms of product and the business.

The Ben and Jerry’s mission is to make the best possible ice cream in the nicest possible way. We believe in, and support, this mission.

In addition to this, the ice cream is denser than other competitors making it a super-premium ice cream and it has chunks and swirls which differentiates itself from competitors.

Another great thing about the brand is that the raw materials are sourced from suppliers in a social and environmentally responsible way.

For example, cage free eggs are used and the company works closely with dairy farmers to continue improving farming practices to help protect the environment and animal welfare.

4. What surprised you about the business?

We didn’t realise just how popular the brand was among Australian consumers and how many loyal fans we have who already knew tonnes about the brand.

Ben & Jerry’s launched in 2009 and is still growing within NSW and across Australia. Ours is the third Scoop Shop to open in Sydney, but the first to land on the Eastern Suburbs, and the fan base is already very large.

5. How do you spend an average working day?

As we are in the early days of the store, we would spend a typical day training staff, ordering ice cream, ensuring the store looks great and scooping ice cream to happy customers.

6. Are you a sole franchisee or in a partnership, and if so, who with and how do you manage the roles?

We are a partnership, however one of us works in the store on a day to day basis. The other manages the financials and payroll.

We have a couple of shift leads that help us manage the store when we are not there.

7. How has the franchisor training helped you in business?

The franchisor training we received from Ben & Jerry’s was great for our business – having others to learn from ensured we got to start up quickly and with ease.

The good thing is, the system is developing in Australia, so we can always go to the franchisor with ideas for improvement to the model, and they are open to that.

8. How do you raise your brand’s profile in the community?

What is great about being a Ben & Jerry’s franchisee is that we can put our own unique touches to the Scoop Shop such as community noticeboards and supporting local charities and community initiatives.

We are also guaranteed continued support from Ben & Jerry’s. This means that we are not only in a position to drive business using our own insights into the local community, but also can use the support and assets available from the wider team to drive business in our local community.

When we opened we celebrated with a Scoop-a-Thon, essentially free ice cream for all, which was hugely popular.

We also have Free Cone Day coming up in April, an annual celebration worldwide whereby the company gives back to the local community to thank them for the support by giving away free ice cream all day. We never underestimate the power of free ice cream! 

9. What are your goals for the business?

The store opening was a huge success and we have already developed a strong presence in the community. We want to go from strength-to-strength and continue to deliver quality service and delicious ice cream to our customers.

We’re keen to develop even further our social mission within the local community as we’re here to stay!

10. How has franchising changed your life?

Being a franchisee and part of a much-loved international brand has been an amazing experience. It’s meant that we’ve become part of a bigger herd and have connections all over the world.

We’re looking forward to developing our local presence and building on our fan base even more by spreading the signature Ben & Jerry’s peace, love and ice cream!