A Franchise Partnership Built for Speed
That’s right! Your favorite ice cream and Italian ice franchise is putting the pedal to the metal at one of America’s most exciting racing venues! Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and Daytona International Speedway have just crossed the Ts on a partnership deal that will fuel future growth for us and our franchisees, and provide Speedway attendees with the frozen dessert industry’s most craveable, creamy Soft Ice Cream and smooth Italian Ice at some of the biggest events in international racing.
Read on to see the details of the deal and learn what it’ll mean for our franchisees!
This Italian Ice Business Will Be Scooping Daytona’s Special Events Year Round
This year, the World Center of Racing will offer Jeremiah’s award-winning branded products to fans and attendees at concessions alongside impressive franchise names like Papa John’s Pizza and 4 Rivers Smokehouse.
Jeremiah’s will be scooping from a fully branded concession stand on the stadium’s AXALTA Injector’s 100 Level and a mobile setup on the Infield UNOH Fanzone. That means the tens of thousands of racing fans at each of Daytona’s premier events will get a taste of Jeremiah’s!
That includes some of the world’s biggest racing events, including the season-opening DAYTONA 500 and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August, as well as events at the 2.5-mile tri-oval for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series. In addition to NASCAR, other motorsports events at the iconic venue consist of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, North America’s premier race for sports cars, as well as the DAYTONA 200 for motorcycles on the storied DAYTONA Road Course, in addition to the thrills of the Daytona Supercross on the trioval.
The team at the Speedway is just as excited as we are! Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile says of the partnership, “We are always looking for new and exciting ways to enhance the fan experience at all the events we host here at World Center of Racing. We already know about the delicious treats at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice because they have a location at One Daytona, across the street from the speedway. They are a great addition to the already incredible lineup of food offerings, and we are excited about the partnership.”
How It All Came Together
Jeremiah’s franchisee Hayden Boyd was the perfect point person to bring this partnership to life. Having first come into Jeremiah’s franchise ownership after working Spectra Food and Beverage, providing food services by finding local brands to bring into the Orlando area’s coolest stadiums and event spaces.
“I was quick to find out the type of following and passion Jeremiah’s built in the Central Florida area,” says Hayden. “I would pass the Waterford Lakes unit on my way to my office and there were lines at 12 noon and 11pm every day! It wasn’t long before I worked out a partnership between University of Central Florida’s Bounce House stadium and Jeremiah’s.”
“The culture of the staff always creates a fun experience at the stadium. During Jeremiah’s first event at UCF’s Spectra Stadium I saw the line for Italian Ice stretch the length of the football field. But people waited so patiently and enjoyed every bite of their delicious Gelatis no matter how long that line was. People want their Jeremiah’s!”
In 2019, Jeremiah’s partnered with Pivotal Growth Partners (PGP), whose experienced team has led some of the top brands in foodservice to award-winning growth. Our partnership with the Speedway was facilitated by PGP franchise business coordinator Rick Schanz. An expert marketer and longtime racing enthusiast himself, Rick connected the dots between Jeremiah’s and Daytona International Speedway and assisted with final negotiations on behalf of Jeremiah’s to ink the partnership.
Combining the Coolest Ice Cream Franchise with the Hottest Motorsports Venue
A partnership like this will expose the Jeremiah’s Italian Ice brand to hundreds of thousands of people a year. It’ll be a huge boost to Jeremiah’s national (and international!) marketing and benefit other Jeremiah’s locations outside the stadium through special coupons and customer bounce-back initiatives.
The partnership with Daytona International Speedway will of course lead to more marketing opportunities throughout the year, but it’s also more meaningful than that. As part of the partnership and their support of the Florida community, the Speedway has agreed to match product donations we make throughout the year to local food banks and other organizations. It put lasting unity and growth at the forefront of this partnership—something to look forward to in 2021.
Ready for Full-Throttle Franchise Growth
Since partnering with PGP, we’ve awarded nearly 150 franchise units within our first 18 months of franchising, opened 10 new locations in 2020 and expanded our footprint into 4 more states outside of Florida. As 2021 kicks off, we’re shooting to open 35 new locations in states like Texas, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, and open our very first locations in Louisiana and Colorado.
PGP’s Rick Schanz leaves interested candidates with an exciting proposition: “We’re inviting select franchise prospects to visit the Speedway during events to learn more about Jeremiah’s and the potential our brand has in sports and event venues nationwide. What better way to learn about the Fastest-Growing Frozen Dessert Franchise than at the World Center of Racing?” Get in touch today to find out how.
