Join our franchise family

Inside of a MilkShake Factory franchise.

The Experience

Elevated by fourth generation chocolatiers, the MilkShake Factory delivers handcrafted milkshakes and chocolates with a sophisticated yet simple operation.

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Make Life Sweeter

Our family strives to make life sweeter for our team and community. People walk through our doors with smiles, and our job is to make sure they leave with smiles.

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Make Life Sweeter

Our family strives to make life sweeter for our team and community. People walk through our doors with smiles, and our job is to make sure they leave with smiles.

  • Two kids enjoying a milkshake inside of a MilkShake Factory franchise.
  • Customer smiling at a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
  • Employees at a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
  • Child eating at a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
  • Dog at a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
  • Customer smiling at a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
  • Two girls laughing at a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
  • Girl inside of a MilkShake Factory Dessert Franchise.
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Why Us?

Our family has been bringing inspiration to life with handcrafted chocolates and milkshakes since the turn of the century. Our love of chocolate has been handed down from generations of chocolatiers that came before us. Since 1914, we have crafted premium chocolates using our heritage recipes and techniques. We want to give other families and small business owners the ability to confidently bring the simple joys of life and magical moments to their own communities.

BE A PART OF OUR FAMILY

Fourth-generation chocolatiers committed to creating a family culture

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY

Century-old family recipes, proprietary housemade ice cream, high-quality ingredients blended with imagination

INVEST IN A TIMELESS BUSINESS

Refined concept with strong economics that can successfully operate at scale

DEDICATED TEAM

Years of franchise experience to guide you through every step

CERTIFIED TRAINING PROGRAMS

Established certified shaker and chocolatier training programs

A SWEETER LIFE

Bring the simple joys of life and magical moments to your community

Our Rich History

MilkShake Factory® begins in 1914 as a small soda fountain and chocolate shop in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Charlie and Orania immigrated from Greece and opened their first chocolate shop and soda fountain. At the time, a milkshake was a true treat for the whole family. Home refrigeration was a luxury few could afford, so to savor the taste of ice cream, let alone the thick chill of a handmade milkshake, was cause for an excursion to a soda fountain.

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The story of MilkShake Factory, a dessert franchise.

Our Story

In the early 2000s, the fourth generation took over the family business and established a unique retail operation, creating a community-focused dessert destination. Today we are ready to invite like-minded entrepreneurs to use our playbook to make life sweeter for their local communities.

The founding team of MilkShake Factory, a chocolate and dessert franchise, smiling.

We Don’t Cut Corners

The MilkShake Factory takes pride in every product we serve, and we never cut corners. From a young age, we were taught that everything starts with the right ingredients which means every aspect of MilkShake Factory has been refined from our customer experience to improved operational efficiencies, and the ingredients we use to balance flavors.

A strawberry milkshake made at MilkShake Factory, a chocolate and dessert franchise.

Be A Pillar Of Your Community

Our stores are a gathering destination in the communities we serve. Being a successful MilkShake Factory franchisee means being a pillar of your community and enjoying the benefits of giving back.

Grand opening of a MilkShake Factory, a chocolate and dessert franchise.
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Meet Our Team

At MilkShake Factory, we believe that the key to a successful franchise is a strong support team. Our team has extensive experience in the retail and franchise industry, and we’re committed to helping you achieve your goals as a franchisee. We have a dedicated support staff that’s committed to helping our franchisees succeed. When you become a MilkShake Factory franchisee, you’ll have access to all of our resources and expertise.

DANA EDWARDS MANATOS

FOUNDER & CEO

Started scooping ice cream and making chocolates as a kid. Created MilkShake Factory during a college business course. Left a career working at The White House to come back to the family business. Hobbyist photographer. Wife and mother of 3.

DAN REESE

PRESIDENT

Former leader of $2B Kraft Heinz condiments portfolio. Degrees from elite college basketball schools – Michigan State and Duke. Amateur pizza chef. Washed up athlete. 3x girl Dad.

SHAWN SMITH

VP OF OPERATIONS

30+ years experience creating hospitality business systems. Former cross country and track star turned 5-time Coach of the Year. Hockey Dad and Mr. Fixit around the house.

FRANWORTH

FRANCHISE EXPERTS

Franworth’s team of experienced professionals accelerates brand value by building, incubating and growing brands using a franchise model and shared services platform.

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How It Works

Ready to become a Milkshake Factory franchise business owner? The following process outlines the steps it takes to join our family.

TELL US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED

Complete the MilkShake Factory contact form on our website. This information will help us determine if the franchise opportunity is a good fit for you and if you’re a good fit for our franchise system.

INTRODUCTION TO THE MILKSHAKE FACTORY

Receive a comprehensive understanding of the MilkShake Factory franchise opportunity, including a brand overview, franchisee support, your role as an owner, investment details, the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), an overview of the unit economics, and a review of our marketing and operations systems.

TERRITORY PROPOSAL & FRANCHISE APPLICATION PAPERWORK

Identify potential territory for your MilkShake Factory and let us know you’re interested in moving forward by completing our application paperwork.

DISCOVERY DAY

Attend a Discovery Day at corporate to meet the executive team and see the entire system firsthand, giving you a better sense of the company’s culture and whether it’s a good fit for you.

SIGN FRANCHISE AGREEMENT

Sign the franchise agreement to officially become a part of the MilkShake Factory family and start your journey as a franchise owner, with access to ongoing support and resources to help you succeed.

ONBOARDING & TRAINING

Onboard with the MilkShake Factory team to set up your franchise, including acquiring real estate and purchasing equipment. Our team will guide you through the process to ensure a smooth launch. Participate in our comprehensive training program, which includes both classroom and on-the-job training to prepare you for success. You’ll learn everything from operations to marketing, allowing you to run your franchise confidently.

CONSTRUCTION

Construct your MilkShake Factory franchise location, with support from our franchisor resources. We provide you with guidance and resources to help you navigate the construction process, including site selection, design, and construction management. Our team will work with you every step of the way to ensure that your location is built to our specifications and ready for your grand opening.

GRAND OPENING

Open your MilkShake Factory franchise and start serving delicious milkshakes and sweets to your community! Our ongoing support team will continue to provide you with guidance and resources to achieve ongoing success.

The Sweetest Words Ever!

As always, they have the best milkshakes in the United States at every store. This store was no exception to that.

Indujeet

Great service. Nice variety of sundaes and shakes made before your eyes. High quality ingredients. A happy place with happy faces.

Stephen

Holy hell one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted!

Gillian

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Do You Have What It Takes?

At MilkShake Factory, we’re looking for franchisees who are passionate about providing their communities with a sweeter life and are motivated by a genuine care for people. If this sounds like you, keep reading to see if you have what it takes to join our team.

TAKE OWNERSHIP

You’ll be responsible for providing your customers with the highest quality desserts and a memorable experience. To succeed in this role, you’ll need to be passionate about creating a positive impact on your community and taking ownership of your business.

BUSINESS MINDSET

Our franchisees are smart, driven, and understand what it takes to be successful in business. They’re able to identify opportunities and have a strategic mindset that allows them to make informed decisions that drive growth. If you have a strong business acumen and a desire to succeed, we want to hear from you.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

We require that our franchisees have the financial resources to launch and support their business. To meet these requirements, you must have a minimum net worth of $750K, including $200K in liquid assets. If you are passionate about entrepreneurship and a sweet business, and meet our financial requirements, we’d love to hear from you.