Our story

The year was 1902, and a young, enthusiastic Arthur Abbott was hard at work. He was traveling with small carnivals along the Eastern Seaboard, spending his days entertaining the public and his nights perfecting a secret recipe for a special frozen dessert. As he moved from state to state with the carnival, Arthur recognized the importance of community and his passion for making people happy could become the focus of a new business. These principles, combined with his frozen concoction became the foundation of Abbott’s Frozen Custard. From our first stand at the Playland in Rye Beach, New York, Abbott’s Frozen Custard has grown into a multi-location family business with stands from New York to Florida.  For over a century, we have been driven by a passion for our people, our frozen custard and our communities. 

Our frozen custard - Our secret family recipe has created lasting memories for millions of friends and families for more than a century. Based on wholesome ingredients directly from our dairy farms our guests appreciate the value of our premium product. 

Our equipment - Built just for us, the Abbott’s Frozen Custard machine is an essential part of our business, that without, is impossible to create Abbott’s Frozen Custard.  

Simple operations with a focused menu - Do one thing and do it well. At Abbott’s we know what we are great at and that is what we focus on. Every day, we strive to be the greatest frozen custard stand which requires dedication and perseverance. Owners benefit from a simple operation that enables them to focus on their priorities and take advantage of the benefits of being a small business owner. 

What makes a great Owner

New owners join the Abbott’s family from a variety of backgrounds including retail sales, commercial real estate development, restaurant operations, and professional services. Regardless of their background, they all share the following characteristics:

• Passion - The single most common trait among our owners that drives them to be successful every day. Our owners are fiercely passionate about our product, our brand and our customers. They understand how important each guests’ Abbott’s Experience is, and work tirelessly to ensure every one leaves happier than when they arrived.

• Being a good neighbor – Our owners understand the value of making a positive impact in their neighborhood. Each owner is dedicated to being more than just a business in town, they are committed to being an active participant in their community. 

• Personable – Abbott’s owners look forward to interacting with everyone around them. They love working with their crew, serving their guests and meeting people in the community. Their personalities are truly the heart and soul of their business and allow them to be successful. 

Support throughout the process including:

• The Abbott’s Discovery Process ensures everyone receives all the information necessary to make a decision.

• Site selection - We utilize data analytics combined with local knowledge and experience to ensure we identify the best location.  

Our priorities

Focus, a critical skill every successful business owner has and at Abbott’s that means paying attention to the important details while not overcomplicating the process. Our approach that has stood the test of time keeps things simple by focusing on our people, our frozen custard and our communities.

Our people - our Crew delivers the Abbott’s Experience to every guest that visits us. We coach, support and involve our Crew in every aspect of our operations. Our philosophy at Abbott’s is that if we take care of our people, they will take care of our guests.

Our frozen custard - following our secret family recipe, our frozen custard is made fresh in small batches throughout the day in each one of our stands. This ensures each guest enjoys fresh frozen custard just the way Arthur always intended. Our recipe is also based on the most wholesome ingredients straight from our dairy farms, where our dairy farmers like to say “Happy cows make great milk” 

Our communities - Being in business for yourself is about more than just making money, it’s about making a positive impact in your community. At Abbott’s, we take pride in being a great neighbor and support our communities in any way we can. Whether its raising funds or awareness, we are constantly seeking opportunities to help others.  

The Abbott’s Advantage

Family business - Abbott’s always has been and will continue to be a family business. This translates into personal relationships throughout the company that produce opportunities not found in a corporate structure. Franchisees are called Owners, included like partners and always have a direct line to our management team. We believe in an open-door policy and expect constant communication from our Owners. 

The Team - With the most experienced, passionate and dedicated management team in the industry, our Owners benefit from training and ongoing support that comes from decades of operational experience. 

• Architectural design - Our architectural firm will design your space from top to bottom to ensure it fits our needs from both an operational as well as aesthetic perspective.  

• Contractor management - We will help you manage the build out of your stand from start to finish. 

• Equipment - Abbott’s will supply you with every piece of equipment you need to operate your stand.

• Inventory - We leverage our established relationships with our ingredient manufacturers to ensure you receive your inventory at below market costs. A number of our ingredients are also made just for Abbott’s to ensure a premium and differentiable product for our guests. 

• Scoop School - You will receive weeks of training both at our headquarters as well in your stand prior to opening. 

• Marketing - You will receive direct marketing support from our team as well as coaching on how to effectively introduce the brand to your community. 

• Ongoing business coaching - Throughout the life of your business we will provide guidance to help you efficiently operate your business.

• Routine in person visits - We love visiting with our owners to ensure they receive all the support they need. 

Financial requirements

The investment required for one Abbott’s location can range depending on factors such as the physical location and the construction required to prepare the space for use, however, regardless of the total investment, owners should be prepared to supply 20% - 25% of the overall investment required if they are seeking a loan from a bank to finance their business. Many new owners utilize an SBA backed loan or choose a traditional lending route. Using either option, banks will require 20% - 25% of the total investment required to be approved for a loan. 

We will contact you as soon as possible!!