I’m a sucker for a good origin story. Weren’t you as excited as me watching Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith witnessing Anakin Skywalker succumb to the temptations of the dark side and become the infamous Darth Vader? Maybe that’s just me. While the origin story of Anakin is dark and dramatic, Frios’ origin story is quite the opposite. The things that brought a startup to where it is today involved a lot of hard work, determination, and creativity to see the potential in something before it had even begun.
Frios was started in a garage in Gadsden, Alabama. The original owner wanted to escape corporate life, so he started making frozen pops and selling them at local events. Over the next couple of years, the company grew and sold the first franchise in 2017. Just a few months later, our current owner and CEO, Cliff Kennedy, also started a Frios franchise. It did not take long for Cliff to realize the tremendous potential that this startup could have to provide happiness to the Frios guest and freedom for future entrepreneurs. With excitement, enthusiasm, and a love of pops, Cliff bought Frios Corporate on December 21, 2018. The following summer, we moved our headquarters to Mobile, Alabama. This larger manufacturing center and corporate office have given us the opportunity to ramp up production, implement new growth strategies, build our corporate team, develop our brand, and provide additional support for our franchisees.
What started with just a few popsicle molds and a freezer pushcart has grown into the nation’s largest gourmet pop franchising company! We are beyond excited to have created and inspired such a great family of entrepreneurs to join us on our journey from startup to our current position in the industry. Today, over 40 franchise locations have been founded in communities across the US and Frios pops can be found in countless other establishments, stadiums, and restaurants! Check out our locations here to find a Frios location nearest you.