Franklin Fountain

What Franklin Fountain does

Franklin Fountain is a privately held ice cream parlor and soda fountain operating in Old City, Philadelphia. Founded in 2004 by brothers Eric and Ryan Berley, the business runs a restored 1900s-era marble soda fountain at 116 Market Street, serving house-made ice cream, fountain sodas, sundaes, and light food from 11AM to midnight daily. A second concept, the Franklin Ice Cream Bar, operates from the adjacent 112 Market Street address on a more limited schedule.

The core product is small-batch, in-house ice cream production launched in 2006, supported by a confectionery tradition that includes Shane Confectionery — a chocolate and candy maker originally founded in 1863 and acquired by the Berley family in 2011, now operating as a sister brand. Revenue is generated primarily through in-store retail at premium price points (scoops in the $7.75–$14.75 range, sundaes up to roughly $24), with secondary wholesale and catering channels and a private event space called The Cacao Pod.

The business is family-owned with no external venture or private equity funding. It employs 51–100 people across its Philadelphia operations and serves a fragmented mix of local residents and tourists, with no disclosed enterprise customers or contract revenue.

Name

Franklin Fountain

Legal name

The Franklin Fountain

Website

https://franklinfountain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Franklin Fountain is a family-owned ice cream parlor and soda fountain in Old City, Philadelphia, founded in 2004 by the Berley Brothers, serving house-made ice cream, sundaes, and confections to walk-in retail and catering customers across two adjacent storefronts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ice Cream Parlor and Soda Fountain

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Soft-Serve & Custard Stands (THAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Ice cream parlor
• Soda fountain
• Artisanal ice cream
• Specialty desserts
• Handcrafted confections

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream and Soda Sales: Direct retail sales of ice cream, sodas, sundaes, and baked goods through two Philadelphia locations open 11AM-Midnight daily, with the Franklin Ice Cream Bar operating limited weekend hours (Friday-Sunday).
2. Delivery Services: Partnership with DoorDash for local delivery of ice cream and menu items to customers.
3. Catering and Bulk Wholesale: A La Carte wholesale of ice cream for food service and retail settings. Customers contact [email protected] to inquire.
4. Specialty Products: Sales of ice cream cakes, pies, novelty items, and gift certificates through the company's website and sister shop Shane Confectionery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Franklin Fountain is a traditional ice cream parlor and soda fountain in Old City Philadelphia serving handcrafted ice cream, house-made sodas, sundaes, floats, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, Keystone Bars (dipped custom bars), frozen custard, and baked goods across two retail locations. All products are produced from scratch on-site using ingredients sourced from local Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic suppliers, with supplemental revenue from catering, bulk wholesale, gift certificates, and DoorDash delivery.

Product overview

Franklin Fountain is a traditional ice cream parlor and soda fountain operating as a unified multi-location retail experience. The core offering consists of The Franklin Fountain (116 Market St) - the main parlor with full soda fountain service including ice cream, house-made sodas, sundaes, floats, and baked goods; and Franklin Ice Cream Bar (112 Market St) - a quick-service auxiliary shop specializing in dipped ice cream bars, frozen custard, and prepackaged pints. Products include rotating seasonal ice cream flavors, specialty sundaes like the charitable Have A Heart, custom Keystone Bars, milk shakes, and build-your-own ice cream sandwiches. The business also offers catering and bulk wholesale for events. All ice cream is made from scratch on Market Street using local and quality ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Franklin Fountain Main Parlor The primary ice cream parlor and soda fountain at 116 Market Street in Philadelphia's Old City, open daily from 11AM-Midnight. Offers handcrafted ice cream in rotating flavors, house-made sodas, sundaes, floats, and baked goods.
• Franklin Ice Cream Bar Auxiliary quick-service shop at 112 Market Street offering made-to-order ice cream bars dipped in Shane Confectionery chocolate, frozen custard, milk shakes, and prepackaged ice cream pints, cakes, and novelties. Open Friday-Sunday with limited hours.
• Handcrafted Ice Cream Cones and Cups Handcrafted ice cream servings in Small, Medium, and Large sizes with one to three flavor choices, served in sugar cones, cake cones, or cups. Premium house-made maple waffle cone or bowl and chocolate-dipped waffle cone available at additional cost.
• House-Made Sodas Artisanal house-made sodas dispensed from an early 1900s bronze and onyx marble soda fountain, including Root Beer, Cherry, Grape, Lavender, Mango, Orange, Pineapple, Raspberry, Rose, and Vanilla flavors. Classic options include Dr. Pepper and Kola.
• Ice Cream Sodas and Floats Classic ice cream beverages combining house-made sodas with ice cream, including Root Beer Float, Kola Float, Cherry Bomb, Ladies Choice, Orange Dreamland, and Liquid Air.
• Specialty Sundaes and Splits Specialty sundaes in junior and regular sizes including Hot Fudge Sundae, Mt. Vesuvius, Have A Heart (charitable, $2 per sale donated to local charity), Stock Market Crunch, Lightning Rod, Franklin Mint, Peach Melba, Banana Split for My Baby, and Dr. Dovey's Banana Split.
• Keystone Bars Custom made-to-order ice cream bars dipped in milk or dark chocolate with up to 3 toppings, shaped in a keystone form referencing Pennsylvania. Made at the Franklin Ice Cream Bar.
• Frozen Custard Creamy frozen custard available in Regular and Large sizes, as well as Gelati (real fruit ice combined with custard). Flavors include Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, and Twist.
• Milk Shakes Hand-crafted milkshakes available in Regular, Thick, or Thin consistencies with up to 2 ice cream flavors. Various toppings available including malt powder, whipped cream, and hot fudge.
• Build Your Own Ice Cream Sandwiches Custom ice cream sandwiches made to order with choice of chocolate chip cookie or brownie and a slab of ice cream.
• Baked Goods Assorted baked items including hot soft pretzels, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. Optional ice cream scoop add-on available for all baked goods.
• Catering and Bulk Wholesale A La Carte wholesale of Franklin Fountain ice cream for events, weddings, corporate functions, and food service or retail settings. Customers inquire via [email protected].
• Ice Cream Cakes, Pies, and Novelties Frozen ice cream cakes, pies, and novelty items available for order through the sister shop Shane Confectionery. Pre-order for pickup recommended.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record.

• Uncommon CacaoOthersCacao broker providing fair trade, responsibly sourced cacao for chocolate products. Company values transparency about their cacao sourcing and knows the growers directly.
• WholesomeOthersSupplier of organic, fair trade, naturally vegan, responsibly sourced sugars. Used to sweeten Franklin Fountain Ice Cream and Shane Chocolate instead of corn syrup.
• Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-OpOthersProvides maple syrup from Pennsylvania and organic, cage-free eggs from pastured chickens fed only certified organic or non-GMO, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free supplemental feed.
• Philadelphia Bee CoOthersManages the company's five rooftop beehives, which produce honey for seasonal sales and ingredients. Urban apiary operated by Don Shump.
• Leiby'sOthersCream supplier gathered from local Pennsylvania farms and delivered weekly by Cream'O'Land to make ice cream at The Franklin Fountain.
• Stryker FarmsOthersButter supplier from the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Operates on the principle that all animals are entitled to fresh air, sunshine and plenty of open space. Butter made by cooperative farms in New England & Vermont.
• Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium at Rutgers UniversityOthersExclusive and responsible source for hazelnuts. Rutgers is committed to developing hazelnuts as a widely adapted, high yielding, and low-input sustainable crop.
• Herman's CoffeeOthersCoffee supplier roasted in South Philadelphia. Used in Coffee Ice Cream, Shane's Coffee Caramels, and Coffee Cardamom Bar.
• Dad's Hat WhiskeyOthersLocal Pennsylvania whiskey supplier used in Shane Whiskey Caramel at Shane Confectionery.
• DoorDashChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling local delivery of Franklin Fountain ice cream and menu items to customers through DoorDash platform.
• Three Springs Fruit FarmOthersSupplier of hot spiced cider for The Franklin Fountain.
• Bauman'sOthersProcesses peaches from Berks County Frecon Orchard and strawberries from Lancaster County Mast Farms into purees for Franklin Ice Creams. Also creates fruit butters for Apple Butter and Pumpkin ice creams.
• Blueberry Bill FarmsOthersSupplier of blueberries from Hammonton, NJ for dairy and vegan Blueberry ice cream in summer.
• Small Valley Flour MillOthersSupplier of all organic flour used at the company, sourced from Halifax, PA.
• Warwick-Furnace FarmsOthersChester County, PA farm providing certified naturally grown lavender for Lavender soda and Shane's Lavender Caramels.
• Salty AcresOthersSupplier of solar evaporated flake sea salt, hand harvested from the Atlantic by in Avalon, NJ. Used in Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream and Shane's Sea Salt Caramels.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bassett's Ice Cream: Philadelphia's historic ice cream brand since 1893, operating retail scoop shops in the city. Highly comparable on heritage, single-city (Philadelphia) footprint, and traditional scoop-shop experience.
• Salt & Straw: Multi-location artisanal scoop-shop chain focused on small-batch, creative ice cream flavors with brand-led storytelling. Comparable in artisanal, premium, scoop-shop format and content-driven marketing.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium artisanal ice cream brand with scoop shops and grocery distribution, including vegan lines — comparable on premium price points, vegan offerings, and retail/grocery dual channel model.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Scoop-shop chain and grocery brand known for unique flavors and ingredient transparency. Comparable on artisanal positioning, retail scoop shops, and direct-to-consumer packaged pints.
• Mitchell's Ice Cream: San Francisco's historic ice cream parlor dating to 1953, offering a nostalgic parlor experience similar to Franklin Fountain. Comparable on heritage-driven positioning and classic parlor setting.
• Bi-Rite Creamery: San Francisco artisanal scoop shop emphasizing local/sustainable ingredients and creative flavors. Comparable on artisanal sourcing story and small-batch production model.
• Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream Company: Independent Philadelphia-area gelato and ice cream maker with retail locations and wholesale. Comparable regional artisanal ice cream maker with retail and wholesale channels.

Broad incumbents

• Häagen-Dazs: National premium ice cream brand with scoop shops and broad grocery distribution. Overlaps on premium positioning and parlor dining experience but operates at vastly broader scale.

Regional players

• Caffè Gelato: Independent shop offering artisan gelato, coffee, and pastries in a Philadelphia-area retail setting. Comparable on artisanal frozen dessert and specialty beverage offering within the same region.

Others

• Shane Confectionery: Sister shop under common Berley Brothers ownership, operating as America's oldest continuously operating candy shop with shared branding, customers, and gift-certificate/cake channels. Not a competitor but the most adjacent ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/franklinftn
• YouTubefranklinfountain.com/filmreels
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefranklinfountain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-franklin-fountain-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Franklin Fountain