Booze Pops to begin offering franchises

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Booze Pops, a Charleston-based ice cream truck company offering alcohol-infused ice pops, is now offering franchises to spread its brand outside of South Carolina.

Owner Woody Norris said he plans to offer about 40 franchises to hand-picked partners across the country. The total cost will be a little over $100,000, he said, which includes a $20,000 franchise fee, the cost of a truck and freezer, and three pallets of popsicles. The franchisee will pay monthly royalties and marketing fees.

“A lot of people know Booze Pops already, so the name helps,” Norris said. “It’s the whole formula — the girl outside talking to you, or the dude talking to you, and then the music, the lights, it all goes together.”

Norris said he’s looking for people who are passionate and motivated to succeed, with a preference for veterans; Norris served a tour in Iraq with the Army and worked as a contractor there prior to his current career.

Franchisees will receive two weeks of training from Norris, one week in Charleston and a second week at the franchisee’s location. Training will include walking through the typical sales routine, how to set up and break down the truck on-site, and how to work with the contractors providing the popsicles.

“Franchisees will be able to pull out of the driveway and start making money on the first day,” Norris said.

Norris said he’s determined to not let a franchisee fail.

“My phone’s on 24/7,” he said. “They’ll be able to call me at 2 a.m. if they need to.”

The idea for Booze Pops came two years ago when Norris sampled an alcohol-infused ice pop at a party and thought he could sell them out of ice cream trucks. He currently has a fleet of six trucks in Charleston, Columbia, Summerville and Folly Beach. Last year, Norris said, he had 34,000 customers and employed 43 people.

“It’s continuously growing,” Norris said. “I can’t keep up with the growth rate, and every other customer that comes by the truck asked me if I franchise. It got the point where I felt like I had no choice but to franchise because so many people want it.”

Norris said he doesn’t need a liquor license in South Carolina because state law considers the popsicles to be a frozen food product, not alcohol. He said he will help franchisees navigate their respective state laws during training.

“What I’m trying to create is the Walmart of frozen alcohol on wheels,” Norris said.