Do you want to own a Twice The Ice franchise and want to know whether it’s worth the effort and the money? Twice The Ice doesn’t offer a traditional franchise business model, but they offer a similar approach called owner-operator for their ice vending machine.
You need to pay for these machines, which can equal the initial investment for an ice business franchise. That’s why you might wonder if paying that much money is actually worth it for a machine. We will dive deep into Twice The Ice and their business model.
About Twice The Ice And Twice The Ice History
Twice The Ice is a brand of Ice House America and they founded the brand in 2003. The company is a brand for ice vending machines, and its aim was to bring a different approach to buying and selling ice.
It doesn’t have any human involvement in its daily operations, and the brand solely relies on entrepreneurs acting as the owner-operators.
Now, they have over 4,000 machines across the United States, all of them operated by individual entrepreneurs. They have no other fees in the business, which allows for excellent flexibility and profit opportunity.
Franchise Model Table
| Cost Or Fees | Amount |
|---|---|
| Franchise | NO (Machine owner-operator) |
| Franchise-Fee | NO |
| Estimated Outlets | 4,000+ |
How Much Does It Cost To Open A Twice The Ice Franchise?
Twice The Ice doesn’t offer franchising as a store, so there are no direct costs associated with that. However, they do offer an owner-operator model of their ice cream machines in various sizes. You can buy these machines, and they will implement them for you, and each size comes at a different price.
The cheapest option is a merchant offering, which is between $60,000 and $95,000. The second one is the Kiosk model, which is a more complicated machine and takes up more space, and it costs between $105,000 and $145,000. The most expensive and complicated one is the Ice House, which can cost more than $145,000 depending on several factors.
How Does Twice The Ice Owner-Operator Differ from Franchising, And Why Doesn’t Twice The Ice Offer Franchising?
Twice The Ice business is an ice and water vending machine business. They don’t have traditional physical locations, just vending machines. That’s why entrepreneurs can only get to buy their fully automated vending machines and put them in a location approved by the company.
You become an owner-operator rather than a franchise owner since you are not managing a business, just a vending machine.
Because Twice The Ice’s business model doesn’t allow for franchising, they are not offering this system. They do offer the closest thing they can offer, which is the owner-operator model.
There are no royalty fees or anything similar, just the buy-in price for the machine. They might provide training and help with financing, but this is to a certain extent.
Profit & Revenue Of Twice The Ice
Twice The Ice is not a public company. They don’t share the financials of the company, so we don’t know the company’s situation. That’s why it’s hardly impossible to know the financials of a vending machine and the company.
The profit & revenue of the company and the individual Twice The Ice vending machines depend mostly on the amount of ice bags you sell each month.
For example, if your price is $1.75 per bag and you get a $1.60 profit per bag, your variable and fixed cost will determine how many bags you need to sell.
What Are Some Alternatives to Twice The Ice?
Many similar businesses offer the same type of owner-operator model or a whole traditional franchising method in the ice vending machine business. Here are three of them.
1. Kona Ice
Kona Ice Franchise is perhaps one of the rare companies providing ice trucks and ice vending machines that actually have a traditional franchise system. The company started in 2007 as an ice truck and quickly grew to start franchising in 2008.
They have various size options that you can choose from to start the business. You need to pay $15,000 in franchise fees and can expect a total cost of around $160,000. Depending on the type of truck and business type you choose, the cost could go up or down.
2. Ice House America
Ice House America is a similar ice vending business with over 2,500 locations nationwide. They were founded in 2003, and they operate not just in the United States but also in the world in several countries. They offer remote, controllable ice vending machines with little upkeep. The machines can cost between $25,000 to $75,000, excluding the $7,000 franchise fee.
3. The Ice Depot
The Ice Depot makes a difference in the market with state-of-the-art ice vending machines that clean, purify, and offer fresh and cheap ice while removing the inefficiencies in the process. There are no start-up, franchise, or royalty fees with the Ice Depot. All you need to do is to buy the machine and operate it.
The company doesn’t reveal the prices of the machines, but it claims that its machines are $20,000 cheaper than its closest competitor.
The ice cream franchise market offers several opportunities for entrepreneurs, such as franchises from Yogurtland Franchise, Baskin Robbins, Menchie’s Franchise, Rita Franchise, and Sweet Frog.
Comparison
| Name | Franchise Fee | Royalty Fee | Initial Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Ice Cream | $10,000 | $300/month | $10,450+ |
| IceBorn | $7,000 | 6% | $113,050-$245,650 |
| Twice The Ice | NO | NO | $60,000-$145,000 |
Conclusion
Twice The Ice is not your traditional franchise business. They are an ice vending machine brand offering an owner-operator model for entrepreneurs.
Their machine can cost anywhere between $60,000 to $145,000, depending on the type. There are no costs before or after you buy the machine apart from the maintenance costs.
There are no official financial numbers for the company or for each Twice The Ice vending machine, so it’s impossible to know how profitable it is. However, depending on your location and the number of sales you make, you have unlimited potential to make good money.
FAQs
Why is Twice The Ice, not a franchise?
Twice The Ice business only offers ice vending machines of various types. They don’t have traditional brick-and-mortar shops. This doesn’t allow them to have an official franchised business, only an owner-operator model.
What is the start-up fee to buy a Twice The Ice vending machine?
There are no fees apart from the fees for the machine. The fee for the machine will vary based on your choice. It could be between $60,000 and $145,000.
What is the royalty fee to keep owning my Twice The Ice machine?
There are no royalty fees for Twice The Ice vending machine owners and operators.
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