Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Chocolates & confectionsBackground
Founded: 1981 Franchising since: 1982
On Memorial Day Weekend, 1981, Franklin Crail wasn't on vacation; instead, he was opening the doors to a new business. That weekend, residents of Durango, Colorado, got the world's first taste of a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
Franchisor is a publicly-held company with 130 employee(s); 5 employee(s) in franchise department.
Franchise Growth
Where Seeking Franchisees
In the U.S. Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North carolina, North dakota, New hampshire, New jersey, New mexico, Nevada, New york, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, South carolina, South dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West virginia, Wyoming
Worldwide
On Memorial Day Weekend, 1981, Franklin Crail wasn't on vacation; instead, he was opening the doors to a new business. That weekend, residents of Durango, Colorado, got the world's first taste of a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
Today, visitors to any of the company's more than 200 U.S. locations can watch fudge being made, bite into fresh caramel apples, and purchase a variety of candies and chocolates.
|
265 Turner Dr. Durango, Colorado 81303 |
Phone: (800)438-7623/ (970)259-0554 |
Franchisor is a publicly-held company with 130 employee(s); 5 employee(s) in franchise department.
Franchise Growth
| Year | U.S. Franchises | Canadian Franchises | Foreign Franchises | Company Owned |
| 2009 | 276 | 44 | 3 | 7 |
| 2008 | 281 | 40 | 3 | 4 |
| 2007 | 275 | 37 | 3 | 5 |
| 2006 | 264 | 33 | 3 | 7 |
| 2005 | 243 | 29 | 2 | 8 |
Where Seeking Franchisees
In the U.S. Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North carolina, North dakota, New hampshire, New jersey, New mexico, Nevada, New york, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, South carolina, South dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West virginia, Wyoming
Worldwide
Costs and Fees
|
Total investment: $158.95K-566.4K Franchise fee: $24.5K |
Ongoing royalty fee: 5% Term of agreement: 10 years, renewable |
Type of Financing Available
| In-House | Third Party | |
| Franchise Fee | No | Yes |
| Startup Costs | No | Yes |
| Equipment | No | Yes |
| Inventory | No | Yes |
| Accounts Receivable | No | Yes |
| Payroll | No | Yes |
Qualifications
Net worth requirement: $200K
Cash liquidity requirement: $50K
Operations
- 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit
- Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 7
- Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Training and Support
Training
Ongoing Support
- Available at headquarters: 7 days
Ongoing Support
- Meetings
- Grand opening
- Field operations/evaluations
Rankings
Franchise 500® rank:
#162 (2009); #151 (2008); #135 (2007); #152 (2006); #146 (2005);
Ranked #1 in category in:
2009; 2008; 2007; 2006; 2005;
America's Top Global Franchises:
#127 (2009); #130 (2008); #103 (2007); #120 (2006);
#162 (2009); #151 (2008); #135 (2007); #152 (2006); #146 (2005);
Ranked #1 in category in:
2009; 2008; 2007; 2006; 2005;
America's Top Global Franchises:
#127 (2009); #130 (2008); #103 (2007); #120 (2006);