Modern Twist on a Childhood Favorite (Podcast)

The journey from franchisee to franchisor is the focus of this episode of The Main Course as host Barbara Castiglia speaks with brothers Neal and Nimesh Dahya, who purchased Fosters Freeze in 2015. The iconic soft-serve brand dates back to the 1940s and the brothers listened to franchisees to understand their concerns while updating the brand. Now, they focus on growing it. 

“We knew from what we learned; we could acquire the brand and take it to the next level. We spent time getting to know our franchisees, suppliers, and partners. It’s an iconic brand that just needed some updating,” Nimesh added.

The update was both front of house and back of the house. They redesigned the interior and exterior. Updating the logo was also part of the process. They also launched a new website and created an intranet for franchisees to have access to resources.

A big part of the modernization was technology. They focused on backend systems that would streamline processes and reduce costs.

Their brothers shared that they remained open during the pandemic and actually saw sales grow because of their drive-thru capabilities. That success and their vision are powering what’s next — they plan to grow outside of California to Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado.

A new episode of The Main Course, our podcast series with MarketScale, is served up every Tuesday and Thursday.