Twistee Treat is a franchise

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....

d chain of 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...

 restaurants, founded in 1983 in North Fort Myers, Florida

North Fort Myers, Florida

North Fort Myers is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 40,214 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

. The restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

s are characterized by buildings shaped in the form of soft-serve ice cream cones.

The original company, which had 23 locations in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, went into bankruptcy in the early-1990s. A new Twistee Treat company, based in Warrensburg, Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

Warrensburg is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,340 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County. The Warrensburg Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Johnson County. It is home to the University of Central Missouri.-History:Warrensburg...

, was formed in 1996. As of 1999, the new company had 35 locations in Florida and Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

. The company also sold a franchise to a Chatham, Ontario

Chatham, Ontario

Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...

-based company that year. Currently, there is also a Twistee Treat in East Peoria, Illinois.

Some Twistee Treat locations also sell hot food (under the "Express Grill" name) and gourmet coffee. Sometimes there is live music and at nights the lines might stretch across the whole parking lot.