When people evaluate food and beverage business opportunities, franchises are often the default comparison point — a known brand, a proven system, and a defined path forward. But a franchise comes with a specific set of costs, obligations, and constraints that many prospective operators don't fully price in until they're reading the franchise disclosure document. A soft serve vending machine is a fundamentally different model. This comparison looks at both honestly.
One thing to state clearly before going further: 99 Spoons is not a franchise. There are no franchise fees, no royalties, no territory restrictions, and no franchisor to answer to. You own the machine outright. This distinction matters, and it's one of the defining features of how the economics compare.
The Upfront Cost Comparison
Franchise entry costs
Franchise entry costs for established ice cream and frozen dessert brands vary considerably, but the total initial investment — franchise fee, equipment, fit-out, initial inventory, working capital — typically runs between $100,000 and $500,000 or more for a brick-and-mortar location. Even smaller fast-casual concepts or kiosk-format franchises typically require a minimum of $50,000 to $150,000 in initial investment.
The franchise fee itself (the fee you pay for the right to use the brand and system) is often $20,000 to $50,000 and is non-refundable. You pay it before you open a single store.
99 Spoons machine cost
A 99 Spoons automated soft serve kiosk starts at $17,499. That's the machine — installed, operational, and supported. There is no additional franchise fee on top of that, because 99 Spoons is not a franchise. The machine is a one-time equipment purchase. You own it. You control it. Nobody else has a claim on your revenue beyond the small commission paid to the venue that hosts it.
Ongoing Costs: Royalties vs No Royalties
This is where the franchise model becomes significantly more expensive than it appears at entry. Most franchises charge royalties — a percentage of gross revenue paid to the franchisor every month, regardless of whether you're profitable. Royalty rates in the food and beverage sector typically run between 4% and 8% of gross sales. Some franchises add marketing fees on top of that, often another 1% to 4%.
On a business generating $200,000 in annual revenue, a combined 8% in royalties and marketing fees means $16,000 per year leaving the business before you pay yourself, before you service your lease, and before any reinvestment.
With a 99 Spoons machine, there are no royalties. Your revenue minus your product costs and the venue commission is yours. The structure doesn't extract a percentage of your success.
Territory Restrictions
Most franchise agreements grant you a defined geographic territory — a radius around your location within which the franchisor agrees not to open another franchise. This sounds like protection, but it works in both directions: you're also restricted from operating outside your territory. If you find an excellent location two kilometres outside your boundary, you can't place a unit there without renegotiating your agreement.
With 99 Spoons, there are no territory restrictions. If you find a strong location in a hospital on one side of the city and a bowling alley on the other, you can place machines in both. Your expansion isn't bounded by a map drawn by a franchisor; it's bounded by your own capital, your time, and the strength of the locations you secure.
Time Commitment
Running a franchise
A food and beverage franchise requires staff management, compliance with brand standards, regular reporting to the franchisor, customer-facing operations across all trading hours, and the day-to-day management of a physical location. For most franchisees, this is a full-time business commitment. Many franchise agreements explicitly require the franchisee or a designated manager to be present during trading hours.
Running a soft serve vending machine
A 99 Spoons machine operates without staff. The operator's weekly time commitment for a single machine is approximately 30 to 40 minutes — restocking, a brief exterior clean, and monitoring the management dashboard. The machine handles every customer interaction, every transaction, and every service delivery automatically. This is not a full-time business; it's an asset you manage remotely with periodic physical visits.
Brand and Operational Control
Franchise agreements define what you can and cannot do in significant detail. The menu, the pricing (sometimes), the store layout, the uniforms, the marketing materials, the suppliers — all typically controlled by the franchisor. This is part of what you're paying the franchise fee for: a tested system. But it also means limited autonomy.
With 99 Spoons, you set your own pricing. You choose your locations. You can pursue custom branding if you want to put your own brand on the machine rather than the 99 Spoons livery. You're not constrained by a system someone else designed for their own benefit.
The Support Question
One argument for franchises is the support structure — training, ongoing operational guidance, marketing infrastructure, and a network of other franchisees to learn from. This is a legitimate benefit, particularly for people with no prior business experience.
99 Spoons provides operator support that covers the relevant ground for this model: installation and training, technical support for the machine, location procurement assistance, the remote management platform, and an operator network. The support is scoped to what this business actually requires — not a retail operations manual for a staffed location, but practical support for an operator managing automated equipment.
A Side-by-Side Summary
| Factor | Franchise (typical) | 99 Spoons Kiosk |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment | $50,000 – $500,000+ | From $17,499 |
| Franchise fee | $20,000 – $50,000 | None |
| Ongoing royalties | 4% – 8% of revenue | None |
| Territory restrictions | Yes | None |
| Staff required | Yes | No |
| Weekly time commitment | 40+ hours | ~35 minutes per machine |
| Pricing control | Limited or none | Full |
| Location flexibility | Restricted by territory | Unrestricted |
Which Model Makes More Sense?
The answer depends on what you're trying to build. If you want to run a staffed retail food business with brand recognition behind you and are prepared for the full operational commitment that requires, a franchise can make sense. The system, the brand, and the support structure have genuine value for the right operator.
If you want an income-producing asset that operates without daily involvement, doesn't extract royalties, places no territory restrictions on your growth, and requires capital starting at a fraction of a franchise entry cost — an automated soft serve kiosk is the more logical comparison.
99 Spoons is not a franchise, and that's a feature, not a gap. You're not paying for a brand; you're buying an asset that generates revenue from the foot traffic at whatever location you secure. Visit the kiosk specs page for technical details, or contact the 99 Spoons team to discuss whether this model fits your goals.