Frios Gourmet Pops

What Frios Gourmet Pops does

Frios Gourmet Pops is a Mobile, Alabama-based gourmet frozen dessert franchise that produces hand-poured popsicles from real ingredients and distributes them through a mobile "Sweet Ride" model rather than fixed retail storefronts. The product portfolio includes 60+ flavors across fruity and creamy categories, with 18 year-round signature SKUs and monthly rotating seasonal flavors; recent extensions include the Frios Plus protein-enhanced line (October 2024), Pup Pops for canine consumption, and custom gender reveal pops. Core technology is operational rather than digital: tie-dye-wrapped vehicles equipped with freezers, LED lighting, music, and bubble machines form the unit-level distribution asset, with Square powering online ordering at the franchisee level and ezCater enabling corporate delivery.

The company monetizes through three streams: (1) franchise fees and ongoing royalties from independent operators who purchase the right to use the Frios brand and run their own Sweet Ride or Cool Cart units; (2) wholesale supply to cafes, gyms, concession stands, markets, and local shops that resell the pops; and (3) direct event catering — Sweet Ride bookings, Cool Cart rentals, and "Pop Drop" cooler deliveries for birthdays, weddings, corporate events, schools, and fundraisers. The franchise was originally founded in a Gadsden, Alabama garage in approximately 2015–2016, sold its first franchise in 2017, was wholly acquired by Cliff Kennedy on December 21, 2018, relocated headquarters to Mobile in 2019, and pivoted to the mobile-only model during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. As of the latest data, the system comprises approximately 115 units spanning 13 states with 40+ actively operating franchise locations.

Name

Frios Gourmet Pops

Legal name

Frios Gourmet Pops

Website

https://friospops.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Frios Gourmet Pops is a Mobile, Alabama-based mobile franchise producing hand-poured gourmet popsicles with real ingredients, distributed via tie-dye "Sweet Ride" vans to event, wholesale, and neighborhood consumers across 13 U.S. states with approximately 115 franchise units.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Novelties

NAICS

Mobile Food Services (722330), Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile / On-Site Catering (Food Trucks for Events, Pop-Ups) (THAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Snack Foods Manufacturing (Ethnic/Regional, Gourmet, Functional) (AFAKAIAO), Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Gourmet frozen pops
• Mobile dessert franchise
• Frozen novelties catering
• Popsicle wholesale
• Hand-poured ice pops

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Frios generates revenue through franchise fees from independent operators who purchase the right to use the Frios brand and business model. Franchisees operate their own mobile units under the Frios brand.
2. Wholesale to Businesses: Frios sells pops wholesale to cafes, gyms, concession stands, markets, and local shops who stock and resell the products for additional revenue.
3. Event Catering Services: Direct revenue from booking the Sweet Ride or Cool Cart for events including birthdays, corporate events, weddings, festivals, and fundraisers. Services include on-site serving and pop drop deliveries.
4. Direct Consumer Sales: Revenue from direct popsicle sales to consumers through mobile units roaming neighborhoods, appearing at events, and through online ordering with delivery via ezCater and Square.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Frios Gourmet Pops manufactures and distributes hand-poured gourmet popsicles made with real ingredients, offering 60+ flavors including signature, seasonal, dietary-restricted, protein-enriched, and dog-safe varieties. Distribution is executed through a franchise-operated mobile network of tie-dye wrapped Sweet Ride vans and Cool Carts, plus wholesale supply to retailers and event catering services for corporate, private, and community events.

Product overview

Frios Gourmet Pops is a mobile gourmet frozen dessert franchise operating through colorful tie-dye-wrapped Sweet Ride vehicles, offering hand-poured gourmet popsicles made with real ingredients. The core product portfolio includes over 60 signature and seasonal flavors across fruity and creamy categories, including year-round signature flavors (Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Cheesecake, Pineapple Mango, Birthday Cake) and monthly rotating seasonal flavors. The company expanded into protein-enriched Frios Plus pops (Strawberry at 17g protein, Peanut Butter Banana at 15g protein) and dog-safe Pup Pops. Services include mobile catering via Sweet Ride or Cool Carts, Pop Drop delivery of coolers for self-service, corporate/party catering, wholesale distribution to retailers, and custom gender reveal pops. The business operates through franchise locations across multiple states with headquarters in Mobile, Alabama.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frios Plus: Protein-enhanced gourmet pops with higher protein content, targeting fitness-conscious consumers
• Pup Pops

Products and services

• Sweet Ride Mobile Catering Tie-dye wrapped mobile vans equipped with freezers, music, LED lights, and bubble machines that travel to events, festivals, neighborhoods, and parties for on-site gourmet popsicle service.
• Pop Drops Delivery Delivery service where a cooler full of frozen pops is delivered for self-service at offices, parties, and corporate events.
• Corporate Event Catering Catering service bringing the Sweet Ride or Cool Cart to corporate offices, parties, and events for on-site frozen pop service.
• Wholesale Distribution Program B2B partnership program allowing cafes, gyms, concession stands, markets, and local shops to purchase and resell Frios pops.
• Gender Reveal Pops Custom-made pops with pink or blue center for baby gender reveal celebrations, with a three-week lead time.
• Signature Gourmet Popsicles Hand-poured gourmet frozen popsicles made with real ingredients, offering 60+ flavors across fruity, creamy, and seasonal categories, with 18 year-round signature flavors.
• Frios Plus Protein Pops Protein-enriched frozen pops including Strawberry (17g protein) and Peanut Butter Banana (15g protein) variants, targeting fitness and active lifestyle consumers.
• Pup Pops Dog-safe frozen treats made with Greek yogurt and peanut butter, designed specifically for canine consumption with the stick removed.
• Frios Franchise Opportunity Franchise offering enabling entrepreneurs to operate mobile Sweet Ride units under the Frios brand, with franchise fees and ongoing royalties paid to the corporate entity.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• ezCatercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with ezCater platform enabling customers to order Frios pops for delivery through the ezCater service, expanding accessibility and convenience for corporate and event customers
• Square (Square Site)supportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Square's online ordering platform allowing local franchisees to accept online orders through their own digital storefronts
• Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee supplier partnership used for crafting specific flavors like Pumpkin Spice Latte pop; local coffee roaster providing ingredients for seasonal offerings
• Boys & Girls ClubminorOthersCommunity partnership providing sponsorships and donations to support local nonprofit organizations and youth programs
• Zip Lost PinessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal business establishment in Cedar Creek, Texas that stocks and sells Frios pops as a retail partner

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Marble Slab Creamery: Marble Slab Creamery is an established franchise brand offering hand-mixed premium ice cream in mall and storefront locations. It is a broad incumbent in the frozen dessert franchise space with deeper capital and longer operating history than Frios.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Cold Stone Creamery is a national premium ice cream franchise with a strong brand and broad retail footprint. While it operates from fixed locations rather than mobile units, it competes for the same frozen-dessert-occasion consumer spend that drives Frios's catering business.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni's is a premium, chef-driven ice cream brand known for distinctive flavors and real-ingredient sourcing, sharing Frios's positioning around artisanal, flavor-forward frozen desserts. It operates through scoop shops and grocery wholesale rather than mobile franchising.
• Sub Zero Ice Cream: Sub Zero Ice Cream is a franchise specializing in made-to-order ice cream using liquid-nitrogen customization, operating primarily in fixed storefronts but in the broader frozen-dessert franchise category. It overlaps with Frios in consumer occasion and dietary customization.
• Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt: Sweet Frog is a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise with broad US distribution, competing with Frios in the customizable, family-friendly frozen dessert category. It offers an alternative format for the same treat occasion.

Direct peers

• King of Pops: King of Pops is a gourmet popsicle brand offering handcrafted, natural-ingredient frozen pops with a similar product positioning to Frios. It shares the real-ingredient, seasonal-flavor, and experiential branding DNA, though it operates more through retail/wholesale than franchising.
• Kona Ice: Kona Ice is the largest mobile shaved-ice franchise in the US, operating a similar event-driven, mobile-unit-based franchise model that targets schools, sports events, and community gatherings. It is the closest direct comparable in terms of GTM motion, franchise structure, and target customer base.
• Pelican's SnoBalls: Pelican's SnoBalls is a mobile and storefront franchise specializing in shaved-ice desserts sold through branded carts and trailers at events. It competes with Frios for the same event-host budget and seasonal dessert occasion.
• Mr. Ding-A-Ling Ice Cream: Mr. Ding-A-Ling is one of the largest traditional ice cream truck franchise operations in the US, serving residential neighborhoods, events, and schools. It represents the legacy mobile-ice-cream model against which Frios positions its modernized Sweet Ride experience.
• Twistee Treat: Twistee Treat operates a franchise of mobile and storefront ice cream units with a distinctive themed vehicle, closely paralleling Frios's Sweet Ride approach. It targets events, neighborhoods, and retail locations with soft-serve and novelty frozen desserts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/friospops
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfqy_EnFs3ADpO13dALQJLg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FriosPops
• Instagraminstagram.com/friospops
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frios-gourmet-pops

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frios Gourmet Pops