F R A N C H I S E
P R O G R A M
The Candy Business is Sweet
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ith a combined 100 years of candy making experience, drawn from the two founding brands behind our franchise program (River Street Sweets and Savannah’s Candy Kitchen), the Strickland family has made Savannah, Georgia, synonymous with Handmade Southern Sweets. Whether it be World Famous Pralines®, saltwater taffy, hand stretched peanut brittle or creamy caramel, their made-from-scratch Southern delicacies are known worldwide. Founded in 1973 on Savannah’s historic waterfront, the original River Street Sweets is the city’s oldest candy store, today operated by siblings Jennifer and Tim Strickland. Just down the street, their father “Stan the Candy Man” Strickland operates Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, the largest candy store in the south since 1991. Guests have always loved the nostalgic experience of watching the candy makers hand dip pralines onto giant marble slabs, stir glazed pecans in huge copper kettles, and see the 100-year-old saltwater taffy machine in action.
Welcome to River Street Sweets • Savannah’s Candy Kitchen
In time, both stores grew beyond Savannah, with over a dozen combined locations in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Atlanta, and Nashville. The Stricklands’ candy businesses further expanded into wholesale and mail order, with an extensive gift line of handmade candies and baked goods shipped nationwide throughout the year. In 2015, after numerous requests, the Strickland family combined their efforts to offer the best of both candy companies under the unified brand River Street Sweets • Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. They now share their candy making traditions by offering franchise opportunities in future locations. With an estimated $25 million in combined annual sales, the two original companies that inspired our franchise brand and program sell more pralines than just about anyone else in the world. Their handmade sweets are manufactured and shipped from a 75,000-square-foot factory in Savannah that is FDA certified at the highest level available for wholesale facilities. The facility includes corporate offices, mail order headquarters, a commercial bakery, two candy making kitchens, and a 4,000 square-foot chocolate production room. River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, is a unique opportunity to be a part of one of America’s finest and most renowned candy brands, a Southern tradition from the heart of Savannah. It is not only an opportunity to own a solid business, but an opportunity to share in a lifestyle that is both fun and family oriented. Thank you for your interest in the River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen franchise program! - The Strickland Family
We at River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen are in the business of enriching the lives of our guests, by providing fresh, Handmade Southern Candies served with good old-fashioned hospitality in a clean, fun environment. What Makes Us Unique? We are an all-inclusive sweet shop (chocolates, old fashioned candies, hard candies, ice cream, and more!) n
We make candy right in front of our guests n
Our founding family has over 100 years of combined candymaking business experience
RECENT ACCOLADES The founding companies behind the River Street Sweets•Savannah's Candy Kitchen franchise program have been honored to be featured and recognized in a variety of media, including: n
2005-2014 Best Candy Store by Savannah Magazine
(10 years in a row) n 2013 Retail Business of the Year by the Savannah Morning News n 2013 - Made World Famous Pralines® for and attended the annual presidential First Lady’s Luncheon in Washington, D.C. n 2013 Georgia Magazine “Best Place to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth” n 2014 Retailer of the Year by the Savannah Economic Development Authority
2015 Unwrapped 2.0 2015 Flip My Food n Featured and recognized in a variety of publications, n n
including the Savannah Morning News, South Magazine, Savannah Magazine, Georgia Magazine, Southern Living, National Geographic, People; plus in numerous movies and on television including Rachael Ray, QVC, The Food Network, Cooking Channel, and more!
THE PREMIER HANDMADE SOUTHERN SWEETS STORE Our Founding Brand Has Been Voted Savannah’s Best Candy Store! Here’s why: Candy and memories made from scratch with incomparable quality At River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, we make the finest, freshest, handmade Southern-style confections around, using our own special Strickland family recipes which have been handed down over generations. Our fresh, high quality products come with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and include our signature, buttery, pecan-packed World Famous Pralines®, glazed pecans and a vast array of other divine candies and sweets. We will show you how you can replicate all our proprietary and specialized tastes, textures, and delicacies in your own hometown store! What’s more, select franchises in our system can even make and provide fresh ice cream to guests, too. This means there are multiple ways to please guests — and sweeten your business’ bottom line.
Unmatched guest experience and originality Your store will be designed to incorporate guests into the experience, before they even enter your doors! Guests are drawn inside by the heavenly aroma of our World Famous Pralines®, Caramels, Chocolate Loggerheads®, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Caramel Popcorn and
Fudge in multiple flavors as they’re being freshly made in distinctive display cooking and preparation areas.
Exceptional guest service Your staff will be trained to serve guests with good old-fashioned, Southern hospitality. We encourage our guests to watch the products being made, chat with the candymakers on duty, and have a free sample of whatever candy is being made. We make sure that no one leaves without feeling they have experienced something unique, fun and delicious.
Flexible options for franchise owners Some franchisors have a one-size-fits-all mentality. Not River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. We give franchise owners the flexibility to operate in a variety of sizes and settings. Our largest models require 2,000 to 3,000 square feet and are located primarily in very high traffic, tourist locations. Our mid-size locations occupy 1,000 to 2,000 square feet, typically located in outdoor mails or street fronts, again, where there is significant tourism traffic. Our smaller locations are 750 to 1,000 square feet and can fit into enclosed malls, airports, or almost anywhere where there is high traffic. Best of all, our corporate team will be there right from the start — guiding you every step of the way with site selection, store size and set-up, design, décor, equipment, fixtures, layout and more!
We’re all about making people happy. Guests and franchise owners alike!
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Great service from knowledgeable staff, live candy-making demos, massive inventory and a bit of every happy dream I’ve had since I was a kid! - G.L., tripadvisor.com -
By far, one of the best sweet spots in the USA… - J.B., Miami, foursquare.com -
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A TRULY SWEET OPPORTUNITY Becoming a River Street Sweets• Savannah’s Candy Kitchen franchise owner could just be the exciting opportunity you’ve always dreamed about! We offer a broad range of deliciously different, handmade confections and a fun, original guest experience. Our concept appeals to a wide potential guest base — tourists, locals, and people of all ages! Plus, as a franchise owner, you can focus on pleasing local guests in your own store, and won’t have to deal with the hassle of shipping orders — we’ll do that for you. But you will have the opportunity to share in a portion of revenues obtained through our mail and web order services, which offer Southern candies as well as scrumptious baked goods such as our layer cakes and pecan pies. We also offer a full gift line, including baskets, tins, and towers of some of our favorite treats.
Handmade Southern-style candy is a unique market niche within the enormous, growing candy industry. The U.S. population consumes more than seven billion pounds of candy a year, more than any other country on the planet!1
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U.S. confectionery retail sales rose steadily in recent years — from $27.4 billion to $32.8 billion by 2012.2 Globally, the confectioneries market is expected to reach $208.5 billion by 2017.3 n
Our most popular treats may be rich in tradition, but they tap into a hot, new market trend — candy with nuts. Consumers view confectionery products containing nuts as a healthy way to indulge their sweet tooth.4 Sales of pecans, in particular, are rising as consumers are increasingly aware of their health benefits. Pecans were added to the American Heart Association’s list of certified heart-healthy foods because they contain fiber, more than 19 vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that may help reduce cholesterol.5
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It all adds up to a fun, personally rewarding future with a fantastic franchise opportunity primed for growth! National Confectioners Association. globalnewswire.com. “NCA Sweets and Snacks 2013 Trends,” 5-20-13. 3 prweb.com/Global Industries Analysts Inc. “Global confectioneries market to reach $208.5 billion by 2017,” 3-7-12. 4 candyindustry.com. Zanetos Scully, Carla. “Nut trends: Candy makers, consumers go ‘nuts,’” 11-18-13. 5 producenews.com. Carter, Chip. “As global demand for Georgia pecans skyrockets, …,” 12-8-12. ilovepecans.org/National Pecan Shellers Association. 1
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…your fudge and pralines are outrageously good... - C.G., riverstreetsweets.com -
This place smells like heaven. Have so much to pick from and some stuff is made fresh right in front of you! - L.W., foursquare.com -
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As a River Street Sweets• Savannah’s Candy Kitchen franchise owner, you’ll have access to our extraordinary management team, one that cares about your growth as much as you do. The Strickland family is committed to sharing their combined wealth of business knowledge and expertise — all to help you grow your own local business.
ONLY THE BEST SUPPORT …PLUS PREMIUM BENEFITS You can count on our corporate team to provide you with an array of superior support services and benefits, including:
A comprehensive training program Thorough training in critical areas, including exclusive family recipes, food preparation, equipment, management, staffing, administration, guest service, marketing and more.
Initial and ongoing support Guidance when you launch your business as well as periodic field visits — business planning sessions covering vital issues such as general operations, human resources and equipment maintenance — all to help you run your business smoothly and efficiently. And you’ll get refresher training and remote support as needed.
An established time and market-tested business model You’ll be part of an established business with plenty of history! In operation for over 40 years, we provide a model which is relatively easy to operate with standards and procedures already in place.
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The best sweets ever!! My favorite stop in Savannah, this year went three times… Can’t wait to go again. - C.B., riverstreetsweets.com -
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Confidential operations manual A comprehensive, proprietary guide detailing the important information you’ll need to operate your franchise, including daily operating procedures, quality control guidelines, forms, and other important business functions.
The use of our trusted brand name and key vendor contacts Along with the right to use our established, recognized trade name, service marks and logo, you’ll gain access to our proprietary confectionary recipes and products as well as approved national suppliers for key inventory and equipment.
Dynamic marketing programs We’ll provide guidance and materials for ongoing local advertising, public relations and marketing efforts, including special displays and seasonal offerings and in-store mail order brochures. Plus, you’ll have presence on our company website.
TASTE THE SWEET LIFE... Have you dreamed of owning your own business? A business that actually makes people happy?
commitment to our concept, brand, and systems, you’ll have instant access to everything that makes River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen so incredibly special.
As a River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen franchise owner, you could turn your sweet dreams into an exciting career opportunity — and avoid many of the issues and uncertainties of going it alone.
So take the next step toward a sweeter future! To find out more about this extraordinary opportunity, just complete and submit the enclosed confidential request form. Upon review, we’ll contact you to set up a meeting at which we can answer your questions and discuss the finer points of owning and operating a River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen franchise.
We are presently screening a select group of friendly, motivated, honest individuals or teams with a strong work ethic and the integrity to join our franchise network. To qualify, you must have solid store managerial experience, excellent supervisory, sales and guest relations skills, along with the drive and the required financial resources to build a thriving business. In exchange for your
Thank you for your interest in the River Street Sweets•Savannah’s Candy Kitchen franchise program. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Want to satisfy your sweet tooth? Then you MUST come here! - J.R., Roswell, GA., yelp.com -
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The Sweet Taste of Savannah River Street Candy Kitchen, LLC 246 E. Lathrop Ave Savannah, GA 31415 844.842.9037 info@RiverStreetCandyFranchise.com www.RiverStreetCandyFranchise.com
This Franchise is currently only offered to residents of certain States. The information contained in this brochure concerning the Franchise should not be construed as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise to the residents of any other States, including those States in which registration of the Franchise is required, and is not directed to any person in any such States by or on behalf of River Street Candy Kitchen, LLC (“Franchisor”), or anyone acting with Franchisor’s knowledge. No Franchise will be offered or sold to a resident of any such States, nor will a Franchise be offered or sold if you want to locate a Franchise in such States in which registration of the Franchise is required, by or on behalf of Franchisor, until the franchise offering has been registered and declared effective and we have complied with applicable disclosure requirements in any such States, and the Franchise Disclosure Document, as registered in such State, has been delivered to the offeree before the sale and in compliance with the franchise laws of such State.