Revolutionizing the Ice Cream Truck: Cliff Kennedy and Frios Gourmet Pops

Cliff Kennedy introduces Frios Gourmet Pops as "the modern-day ice cream truck," explaining how franchisees operate tie-dye wrapped sprinter vans selling gourmet popsicles. He shares his journey from the oil and gas industry to acquiring Frios in 2018, and the company's rapid growth from 20 to 112 territories. Cliff discusses the franchise model, cost structure, and ideal franchisee profile, highlighting Frios' unique flavors and focus on community events.

The conversation explores the challenges of scaling a franchise business, including the concept of "royalty sufficiency" and Frios' fixed royalty model. Cliff outlines his vision for Frios to become the "next Kona Ice" with over 1,000 locations. He and Alan delve into the evolving landscape of B2B marketing, discussing the power of personal branding and social media for business growth.

Throughout the interview, Cliff emphasizes the importance of adaptability in marketing strategies. They explore the potential of email marketing and newsletters for customer acquisition in franchising. The episode concludes with reflections on the constant evolution of marketing tactics and the need to stay ahead of changing algorithms and market conditions.

Episode Highlights:

[02:54] Cliff's background and transition from oil and gas to Frios Gourmet Pops
[04:57] The rapid growth of Frios from 20 to 112 territories
[08:42] Unique flavors and the infamous pickle pop
[13:16] The franchise model and ideal franchisee profile
[22:10] The concept of "royalty sufficiency" in franchising
[30:26] Long-term vision for Frios to become the "next Kona Ice"
[37:31] Leveraging social media for franchise growth and brand building
[51:23] The potential of email marketing and newsletters in franchise acquisition

Quotes:

"We're the modern-day ice cream truck. Uh, you know, our franchisees all across the country ride around in a tie dye-wrapped sprinter van and sell happiness for 11 is what we say."
"There's very few. I mean, less than probably 1% of franchisors in the world are at 1000 or more. So, yeah, you're going into rare air. Um, but I just firmly believe we can do it."
"I always say Small stick, build big fires So you got to start a small stick."
"You're constantly moving the field goalposts, and no matter what you do, I mean, it might work because you have to be willing not to say, Oh, this is everything you got to be looking. What's next? What's next? Constantly evolving space."

Episode Resources: