2001 SEAR report

Franchise Operations

In 2001 the PartnerShop program focused on developing systems and support to enrich our offerings to nonprofits that meet our criteria. In 2002 we will be piloting and/or launching several of these tools, including the PartnerShop Training Curriculum and the Training Activities Report. We also developed new materials to help us promote the program and attract qualified candidates. The updated materials more accurately reflect the mission and goals of the program.

In 2001 we opened two new PartnerShop locations, Haight-Ashbury (San Francisco) and Eastern Market (Washington, DC). The Haight-Ashbury store is operated by Juma Ventures. Juma operates three scoop shops and the ballpark concessions at Pac Bell and 3Com Parks. The Eastern Market store is operated by the Latin American Youth Center, a youth and family development organization in Washington, DC.

Two PartnerShops closed in 2001. After 15 years, the original PartnerShop in Ithaca New York, owned by the Learning Web, closed, as did the shop in Siesta Key, Florida, owned by Suncoast Regional Youth Consortium of Sarasota. Both of these shops were run by organizations that today do not meet our criteria. At the end of 2001 there were 6 PartnerShop nonprofits operating a total of 12 locations.

For more information about the nonprofit organizations that own PartnerShops, visit our website at www.benjerry.com/scoop/partnershop.

At the end of 2001, 186 (78%) of our shops were owned by independent operators. 15.1% (28) of those shops were owned by women and people of color, compared to 13.9% in 2000.

In 2001 the total amount spent by franchisees on community-based efforts was $351,256 or 13% of the annual 4% marketing obligation as compared to $385,968 or 13% in 2000. In 2001 operators were again asked to report activities by category (ie. community initiatives). Of the total community activity, 56.4% was focused on Children & Families (55.5% in 2000); 22.8% went to Civic Projects (24.8% in 2000); 17.6% on Other (15.3% in 2000); and 3.2% on Environmental Initiatives (4.4% in 2000).

At the 2001 Franchise meeting in Phoenix, participants completed a daylong playground build with KaBoom! for the Whitman Elementary School located in Mesa, Arizona.

850,000 Free Cones were served on Free Cone Day 2001 which equals over 212,500 pounds of ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet. This is an increase of 15,000 more cones from 2000.

There was no franchise-related litigation against the company in 2001.