One of life's greatest treats is chocolate. This love of chocolate lends itself to many business opportunities. A chocolate franchise to consider is The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, an internationally famous retailer of chocolates and fudge. The cholate retailer was founded by Frank Crail. The Colorado-native surveyed the businesses in his town and decided to either start a car wash or chocolate shop; he went with the chocolate shop. Over time, that small shop became so popular that it spurred the need for a 53,000 square foot factory that supplies hundreds of franchised Rocky Mountain stores. In 1985, the chocolate retailer went public on the NASDAQ exchange. Since the time it began franchising in 1982, Rocky Mountain has expanded to over 200 locations globally. As a franchisee, you prepare caramel apples and fudge right in front of the customer using copper kettles and marble slab cooling tables. Franchisees also have opportunities in non-traditional locations, including colleges and universities, airports, casinos, and cafes. You'll also have co-branding opportunities. College students also have the chance to compete to own a Rocky Mountain store in their school. Fort Lewis College is one of two schools in the nation to run this program.
Students who participants spend an entire semester creating a business plan for the franchise store. They will then then present the plan to a committee of School of Business Administration faculty, RMCF staff, and area business owners. The winning student is selected based on the merit of the plan and the presentation. Franchisees are also presented with great support and training from the franchisor.