Priority development :
Countries/Regions already covered : North America, Puerto Rico

The nation’s first retail ice cream franchise, Carvel manufactures uniquely shaped ice cream cakes, and provides premium soft serve and hand-dipped ice cream products. The company has more than 540 franchised and foodservice locations serving delicious, high-quality cakes, novelties, cups, cones, sundaes and shakes. In addition, the company sells its famous ice cream cakes through over 8,100 supermarkets.

1906: Thomas A. Carvelas was born in Athens, Greece on July 14th
1910: Tom Carvel was brought to New York City by his parents
1929: After borrowing $15 from his future wife, Agnes Stewart, Tom Carvel began his company by selling ice cream from the back of his mobile truck
1934: Nation’s first retail ice cream company starts when Tom Carvel’s vending truck suffers a flat tire in Hartsdale, NY during Memorial Day Weekend, and he begins selling his melting ice cream from his broken down truck
1935: Begins manufacturing equipment for sale to the ice cream industry
1936: Forms Carvel Corporation
1936: Opens first store on site of broken down truck
1936: Patents “no air pump” super-low temperature ice cream machine
1936: Develops secret soft serve ice cream formula
1936: First to introduce the marketing concept “Buy One Get One Free”
1937: Tom Carvel marries Agnes Stewart
1939: Tom Carvel builds the first soft serve ice cream machine
1947: Patents all-glass front building with pitched roof; later copied by McDonalds
1947: First to franchise a retail ice cream store in the U.S.
1949: Begins franchisee training seminar, Carvel College of Ice Cream Knowledge (franchisees affectionately refer to it as Sundae School)
1950: Tom Carvel creates most complete franchise contract in industry; only franchise contract to survive the FTC and US Supreme Court
1951: First in the industry with a round ice cream sandwich, the Flying Saucer
1953: Opens first prefabricated ice cream store in Glastonbury, CT
1954: First in the industry with the gift certificate concept
1954: Holds the first annual “Little Miss Half Pint” beauty pageant for children under the age of six; 15,000 entries received annually
1955: First in the industry with a line of ice cream vending vehicles
1955: First to use CEO in radio and TV commercials
1956: Introduces the first ice cream supermarket on the site of original Hartsdale, NY store
1969: First in industry to develop complete line of all-Kosher products
1972: First in industry to introduce Lo-Yo frozen yogurt and Thinny-Thin frozen dietary desserts
1989: Sells to Investcorp, an international investment bank
1990: Tom Carvel passes away in his sleep
1991: Relocates to Farmington, Connecticut
1992: Begins Direct Sales Delivery (DSD) Supermarket Branded Freezer Market Program
1993: Develops multi-pronged distribution business model including retail shops, stadiums, super club stores and supermarkets
1998: Places Carvel branded freezers in 4,500 supermarkets
1998: Introduces Lil’ Love cakes
2001: Sells to Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm
2002: Relocates supermarket headquarters to Rocky Hill, CT
2002: Relocates franchise headquarters to Atlanta, GA
2002: Sets Guiness World Record™ for Largest Ice Cream Scoop Pyramid
2003: Introduces 98% Fat Free Flying Saucers, Uptown Smoothies, and Slice Mmm’s
2003: Opens new store prototype in Vero Beach, FL
2004: Celebrates 70th Birthday by setting Guinness World Record for the Largest Ice Cream Cake
2004: FOCUS Brands is created; Carvel joins Cinnabon and Seattle’s Best Coffee International to form new food service company

Carvel is famous for its all ice cream cakes layered with chocolate crunchies. Our family of characters include the popular Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss, as well as a line of other cakes that recognize birthdays, holidays, special occasions and the “little things” in life. Created in 1934, Carvel is credited with developing premium soft serve ice cream products, served today in cups, cones, sundaes and shakes, as well as hand-dipped ice cream and famous novelty items such as the Flying Saucer, Brown Bonnet, Banana Barge and Thick Shake.

Pre-Opening Development:
- Access to Carvel’s development network of real estate brokers, architects, lenders, contractors, and many others
- Design & construction support and assistance
- Toll-free franchise resources hotline
- Dedicated field support team
- Comprehensive Training

Hands-on training in a current franchise store:
- Intensive classroom instruction at the Carvel College of Ice Cream knowledge
- Training reference manuals, including electronic supplements
- Marketing Resources

Grand opening support and assistance:
- High quality quarterly promotional and marketing materials
- Local store marketing programs
- Public relations materials
- New product development
- Corporate cause programs
- Use of the Carvel name and logo
- Broadcast media (certain markets)

Ongoing Support:
- On-site grand opening training and assistance
- Regular consultation visits from Carvel field team
- Regular quality assurance consultations
- Business review analysis of store sales and performance vs. system-wide benchmarks
- Operating system manuals
- Cost saving programs through our National Accounts division
- Carvel Franchise Advisory Council (CFAC)
- Proprietary recipes, including new product rollouts
- Password-protected intranet

Carvel
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200 Glenridge Point Pkwy., #200 - GA 30342 - Atlanta - United States