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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Pelican’s Snoballs Franchise

Pelican’s SnoBalls is a New Orleans-style shaved ice franchise built around soft, fluffy snow served with more than 100 bold flavors. Founded in 2001 and franchising since 2017, the brand has grown into one of the larger specialty frozen-treat networks in the United States, with over 200 locations across the country.

The business is structured around small, focused operations rather than full-menu food service. Franchisees run seasonal stands, fixed storefronts or mobile units within a defined territory, and the concept is designed to scale from a single hometown location to several units plus mobile catering. A deliberately small product line keeps operations simple, and supply ordering is centralised to support consistent margins.

The brand leans on its New Orleans heritage and a family-friendly, community-focused positioning, with signature flavour combinations and a Pelican Bucks loyalty program that encourages repeat visits. Ownership ranges from hands-on operators to more semi-absentee setups, though owners are expected to stay actively involved in running the location and engaging the local market.

Latest Resales

Why buy a Pelican’s Snoballs Franchise?

Buying a Pelican’s SnoBalls franchise offers entry into the specialty frozen-treat category through an established brand with more than two decades in the shaved ice business and a recognisable New Orleans identity. The concept is simple to operate: a focused product line, seasonal demand and a fun, family-oriented customer experience that has proved durable across economic cycles.

The ownership model is flexible. Operators can run a single hometown stand or build toward multiple storefronts and mobile event units, and centralised supply ordering is designed to support healthy margins on a low-cost product. Franchisees join a network of owners, alongside training, marketing tools and a Pelican Bucks loyalty program to drive repeat business. An existing resale can mean an operating location with equipment in place, a known local following and a track record to assess, rather than building seasonal traffic from scratch.

Pelican’s Snoballs Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2023 data reported in the 2024 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2001

    • Franchising Since

      2017

    • New Startup Cost

      $81,750 – $230,800

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $25,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $10,000

      max; covers franchisor's legal, accounting, training expenses

    • Royalty Fee

      8%

      of Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      1-2%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      202

    • New Units Opened *

      16

    • Units Transferred *

      20

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $148,484

    * Based on 2023 data reported in the 2024 FDD

Pelican’s Snoballs – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming owners complete a corporate training program covering 8 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of on-the-job training. Ongoing support includes a toll-free help line, newsletters and regular franchisee meetings, plus access to proprietary software for day-to-day operations management and a franchise intranet. Marketing support covers ad templates, social media guidance and the Pelican Bucks loyalty program to drive repeat custom. Resale buyers should confirm with Pelican's what transfer training and operations-software access pass to incoming owners and existing staff when a unit changes hands.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Pelican's SnoBalls suits hands-on local operators who enjoy customer-facing retail and want to be visible in their community. Because demand is seasonal, owners need to be comfortable hiring, training and managing a largely part-time team, and ramping operations up and down across the year. Strong local marketing instincts and an outgoing, family-friendly service style matter more than prior food-industry experience. The model also fits owners who want to scale, coordinating several stands or mobile event units rather than running just one.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Pelican's SnoBalls has built its recognition primarily through scale and longevity rather than formal franchise awards, growing to more than 200 locations across multiple states and becoming one of the more visible names in the shaved ice category. The brand markets itself around delivering the "World's Best SnoBall Experience", and its New Orleans heritage and family-friendly positioning support strong local word-of-mouth. For resale buyers, brand-level visibility should be weighed alongside the specific territory's reputation, including local reviews, repeat customers and community presence.

  4. Industry / Market

    Pelican's SnoBalls operates in the US frozen desserts market, valued at roughly $21.7 billion in 2025 and projected to grow steadily through the early 2030s (Grand View Research). Shaved ice and snow cones sit at the affordable, impulse end of the category, where low price points have historically held up well during downturns. Demand is strongly seasonal and weather-driven, peaking in warmer months, which makes location, local foot traffic and mobile-event reach important to a unit's annual performance. For resale buyers, a location's regional climate and seasonal sales pattern are central to evaluating revenue.

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