Co-Branding - Franchise Interviews Meets with Dippin' Dots & Doc Popcorn

We are meeting with Steve Rothenstein, Senior Director of Franchising at Dippin' Dots & Doc Popcorn.

When Dippin’ Dots’ CEO Scott Fisher acquired Doc Popcorn in 2014, he needed to empower a leader to combine the two franchise models and expand the perfectly balanced snack co-brand. He leaned on the 25-year franchise-industry veteran, Steve Rothenstein, who’d previously held leadership positions with Yum Brands, Cold Stone Creamery, Tasti D-Lite and Planet Smoothie.  He’s led the franchises’ double-digit growth each of the last four years, since the acquisition.

Dippin' Dots Franchising, LLC.

Where do Dippin' Dots fans go for all their favorite flavors of Dippin' Dots? They go everywhere! Dippin' Dots Franchisees sell the fun, ice cold dots at fairs, festivals, shopping centers and in existing businesses. Market research shows Dippin' Dots outperformed some of the top franchised ice cream brands 2:1 among kids and almost 2:1 among young adults. And one fact was very clear—Dippin' Dots is the number one ice cream for FUN among all age groups!

The Doc Popcorn Story: In a Kernel

Doc Popcorn is a simple and fun business that is popping up everywhere. Inspired by “mom and pop” kettle corn makers at a farmers’ market, our founders spent the better part of a decade creating a mouth-watering kettle-cooked flavored popcorn offering and a variety of flexible business models to make it easy and fun to pop fresh at high- traffic venues. Doc Popcorn is now the largest franchised retailer of fresh-popped popcorn on the planet, and our POPrietors (franchise partners) are having a blast spreading smiles worldwide with our amazing tasting, freshly popped snack.

In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.