Gina and Jason Kaiser chose to own a franchise to help produce residual income and assist them in retirement. Being self-employed they were seeking diversification as well as security. Baskin-Robbins was a good choice for them as it is an iconic brand that everyone knows and loves! 70 years, and going strong!

Franchisee Name: Gina and Jason kaiser
Franchise Name: Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream
Location: Litchfield Park, Goodyear, Surprise, Peoria and Cave Creek AZ

Prior to becoming Baskin-Robbins franchisees, both Gina and Jason Kaiser had excellent transferable skills from their previous work. Gina had been working in the hospitality industry for 16 years and was skilled in guest service and satisfaction; a necessity for this business. Jason’s background was in construction and together they opened a construction company, Kaiser Construction, in 2007, which specializes in medical and dental tenant improvements. Owning and running their construction company added to their skill set in all aspects of running the business and helped them greatly into the transfer to Baskin-Robbins franchisees.

As first time owners of the franchise, they took advantage of the benefits of purchasing an established location with existing sales income. “We were going into the unknown, but knowing that this had been up and running and already had a good customer base, put us at ease. I feel that this decision was best for us and less stressful”; claims Gina. She was also able to develop their business and take advantage of the untapped market such as schools, PTO’s, sports teams, catering and more. Gina implemented a plan to insert their Baskin-Robbins store into their programs locally to help their presence and growth in the community.

As for the funding, raising the balance of the finance required for their Baskin-Robbins resale was easily achievable due to the availability of previous owner’s P&Ls for the store. “Our lender was very happy to have us as a part of their diversification as well knowing that this is an excellent brand/franchise to be a part of with excellent standings”; Gina and Jason state.

Training at Baskin-Robbins ‘Scoop School’ was intensive and covered all aspects of the business. In addition to pre-ownership training Baskin-Robbins offers ongoing training through their local Operations Managers. “Our Operations Manager, Dana Stinard is amazing. She answers all calls, texts or emails very quickly and is always available to help in the shops if I need help or my crew has a question that I cannot answer. Her Regional Manager, Andy Hasson is just as helpful as well. Always available for any questions or support needed”. Gina and Jason have no doubt that baskin-Robbins is the perfect franchise them.

A typical day for Gina as a multiple storeowner is the overall managing the stores as they do have an Operations Manager that oversees all the shops as in addition to the Store Managers. Gina spends her time in the community promoting their Baskin-Robbins stores, setting up events and increasing product knowledge for their consumers. They also manage the challenging job of having excellent in store serving staff; most of them are young and students. Despite rising costs Gina and Jason’s Baskin-Robbins stores honor ‘Tuesday Night Family Night’ with reduced pricing on kids scoops, which their customers continue to enjoy.

Gina firmly believes the differentiating factor from their competition is in the whole experience as well as their first-rate product. “We welcome each guest, offer them a sample of the Flavor of the Month on the iconic Pink Spoon and have fun with them! We have over 31 premium flavors in our dipping cabinets for our guests to choose from which aids in their return as well! Many guests come in weekly, so we get to know them on a personal level and can easily engage in an ongoing conversation with them; it’s great”!!

As successful franchisees, the Kaisers attribute much of their success to their managers, crew and Corporate Ops Manager. As well as inspiring each other, they have fun with guests, and enjoy their job resulting in customers returning. “Everyone knows the Baskin-Robbins brand, so they know they are getting a premium product, but once you step into our shops, EVERYONE enjoys the Baskin-Robbins experience”!

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