MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery
Encyclopedia
MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery is a chain of independently owned and operated franchised
stores that specialize in serving ice cream
and other desserts. It is a franchise brand in the portfolio of Global Franchise Group. The first MaggieMoo's opened in 1989 in Kansas City
, Kansas
. According to the MaggieMoo's website, there are currently 136 locations in 43 states, Singapore
, and Puerto Rico
, well off the brand's peak of over 400 stores. The brand had a goal of opening over 1,000 stores. Considering the brand's contraction, this goal now seems untenable. The brand's headquarters are in unincorporated
Fulton County, Georgia
. When MaggieMoo's was an independent company, it had its headquarters in the Columbia CDP
, unincorporated
Howard County, Maryland
.
, Wichita
, Topeka
, Des Moines
, and Lincoln
.
Facing franchisee issues and lack of capital
, the Tillerys sold the company to a group of investors led by Richard J. Sharoff who became the CEO
. Sharoff was a veteran of the food and franchise industry having previously been a 30 store franchisee of Boston Market
and president of Vie de France
. Sharoff moved the headquarters to Columbia
, Maryland
, proceeded to open two new company units in nearby Northern Virginia
, and built a team of franchisee professionals. The company chose Kansas City cartoonist
Charlie Podrebarac to create the MaggieMoo character, logo, and the "Tail of MaggieMoo", the story about "SpokesMaggie". The franchise program continued to grow and the chain celebrated its 100th unit opening in Phoenix
, Arizona
in 2003.
Sharoff left the company in 2003 and was succeeded by John Jamison. In February 2007 the company was sold to NexCen Brands, Inc. for a reported $16 million. Global Franchise Group acquired NexCen in July 2010.
MaggieMoo's stores serve their products in a playful environment. Each stores features a menu of freshly made ice creams, mix-ins, smoothie
s, sorbets and custom ice cream cakes.
MaggieMoo's serves its ice cream blend containing 14 percent of butterfat
, by mixing in various treats into the ice cream including brownies
, Snickers
, Heath bar
, sprinkles
, fudge
, and others on a frozen granite slab. Mix-ins are folded into the ice cream in front of the customer or sprinkled on like a topping.
, Miss Maggie Moo.
According to the company, their activities, all fronted by their mascot, include "rescuing animals with the Humane Society
, raising money for the Hurricane Katrina
Victims, walking in support of a cure for breast cancer
, assisting schools to raise money, or helping Girl Scouts
and Boy Scouts
earn their badges."
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
stores that specialize in serving ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
and other desserts. It is a franchise brand in the portfolio of Global Franchise Group. The first MaggieMoo's opened in 1989 in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. According to the MaggieMoo's website, there are currently 136 locations in 43 states, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, well off the brand's peak of over 400 stores. The brand had a goal of opening over 1,000 stores. Considering the brand's contraction, this goal now seems untenable. The brand's headquarters are in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
. When MaggieMoo's was an independent company, it had its headquarters in the Columbia CDP
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
, unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Howard County, Maryland
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
History
MaggieMoo's was founded in Kansas City, Kansas by Juel and Katherine Tillery. After deciding to open an ice cream store they were searching for a name. They named their store after a cow on a farm that they passed by every day whom their young daughter affectionally named "MaggieMoo". The Tillerys enjoyed great success in their initial store and began to launch a franchise program. By 1996 there were approximately 10 units open, mostly in Kansas City, but also in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Topeka
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, and Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
.
Facing franchisee issues and lack of capital
Working capital
Working capital is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organization or other entity, including governmental entity. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is considered a part of operating capital. Net working capital is...
, the Tillerys sold the company to a group of investors led by Richard J. Sharoff who became the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
. Sharoff was a veteran of the food and franchise industry having previously been a 30 store franchisee of Boston Market
Boston Market
Boston Market, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, headquartered in Golden, Colorado, is a chain of American fast casual restaurants. It is owned by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.-History:...
and president of Vie de France
Vie de France
is a French bakery chain owned by the Yamazaki Baking Company Limited. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.Its United States division is headquartered in the Tysons Corner CDP of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.-External links:*...
. Sharoff moved the headquarters to Columbia
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, proceeded to open two new company units in nearby Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
, and built a team of franchisee professionals. The company chose Kansas City cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Charlie Podrebarac to create the MaggieMoo character, logo, and the "Tail of MaggieMoo", the story about "SpokesMaggie". The franchise program continued to grow and the chain celebrated its 100th unit opening in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in 2003.
Sharoff left the company in 2003 and was succeeded by John Jamison. In February 2007 the company was sold to NexCen Brands, Inc. for a reported $16 million. Global Franchise Group acquired NexCen in July 2010.
Stores
Smoothie
A smoothie is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit and in special cases can contain chocolate or peanut butter. In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients...
s, sorbets and custom ice cream cakes.
MaggieMoo's serves its ice cream blend containing 14 percent of butterfat
Butterfat
Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.- Composition :The fatty acids of butterfat are typically composed as follows :...
, by mixing in various treats into the ice cream including brownies
Chocolate brownie
A chocolate brownie is a flat, baked square or bar introduced in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century and popularized in both the U.S. and Canada during the first half of the twentieth century. The brownie is sliced from a type of dense, rich chocolate cake, which is, in texture,...
, Snickers
Snickers
Snickers is a brand name chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It consists of peanut nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. Snickers has annual global sales of $2 billion....
, Heath bar
Heath bar
The Heath bar is an American candy bar made of toffee, marketed by L.S. Heath beginning in 1928, subsequently by Leaf, Inc., and since 1996 by Hershey....
, sprinkles
Sprinkles
Sprinkles are very small pieces of confectionery used as a decoration or to add texture to desserts—typically cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and some puddings...
, fudge
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
, and others on a frozen granite slab. Mix-ins are folded into the ice cream in front of the customer or sprinkled on like a topping.
Company achievements
- According to the company, it has created the world’s first ice cream cupcake (introduced by Jim McCarren on the Food NetworkFood NetworkFood Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
), as well as the Maggie-O’s ice cream sandwich featuring Oreo cookies. - The company has been rewarded for its "artistic endeavors in the field of desserts" with its "Chocolate", "Dark Chocolate", "Strawberry", "Vanilla", and "Vanilla Bean" flavors receiving the 'National Ice Cream Retailers Association's' (NICRA) Blue Ribbon for eight consecutive years.
- MaggieMoo's was included in Entrepreneur Magazine’sEntrepreneur MagazineEntrepreneur is a publication that carries news stories about entrepreneurialism, small business management, and business opportunities. It is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California....
ranking of the top 500 franchise opportunities in 2007.
Charity work
The company does various charity works, under the name of their mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, Miss Maggie Moo.
According to the company, their activities, all fronted by their mascot, include "rescuing animals with the Humane Society
Humane Society
A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...
, raising money for the Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
Victims, walking in support of a cure for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, assisting schools to raise money, or helping Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
and Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
earn their badges."