Creams Cafe Franchise | Own a Slice of the Dessert Revolution

The Brand That Started a Dessert Revolution

When Adam Mani and Balal Aqil opened the first Creams Cafe in Southall, West London in 2011, they had one goal: to bring bold, indulgent dessert dining to the mass market. The response was immediate. Queues stretched out of the door, and it was clear from day one that Creams had tapped into something genuinely different. Today, the Creams Cafe Franchise has grown into a network of around 100 stores across the country, cementing its position as the leading dessert parlour brand in the market.

The concept is built around theatre, flavour and atmosphere. Guests are greeted by striking neon signage, vibrant interiors, and a mesmerising open gelato counter. The menu is a playground for sweet lovers: hand-crafted waffles, authentic Italian-recipe gelato made at the brand's own factory, crepes, sundaes, milkshakes, sorbets, vegan options and a savoury menu that includes the brand's signature popcorn chicken waffle bites, a concept it pioneered in 2020. Creams does not just serve desserts; it creates an experience that customers return to again and again.

Signature theatre and indulgence - Creams Cafe builds its menu around hand-crafted waffles, in-house gelato and presentation customers love to share

The Creams Cafe Franchise has been recognised at a national level, winning Best Brand Partner at the Menu Innovation and Development Awards (2022), Best Innovation at the Best Business Awards (2021) and Best Family Restaurant at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards (2021). Savanta Research has also ranked it among the top ten most loved eating out brands three years running.

The Franchise Model

Creams is actively seeking franchise partners for multi-site development opportunities, particularly in the Midlands, the North and Scotland. This growth strategy positions the Creams Cafe Franchise as an opportunity for ambitious operators who want to build a portfolio rather than a single outlet.

What You Get

• ✓ The right to operate under one of the most recognisable dessert brands in the country
• ✓ A 21-day intensive training programme for management and staff through Creams Academy, with certification on completion
• ✓ Expert support on site selection, store design and fit-out
• ✓ A streamlined supply chain with Italian-sourced gelato made in-house at the Creams factory
• ✓ Ongoing operational, marketing and product development support
• ✓ Access to delivery partnerships with all major platforms

Understanding the Investment

The Creams Cafe Franchise fee is £15,000 plus VAT for each unit, which grants the right to use the Creams trademark and access all systems, training and support. It is important to understand that this franchise fee is separate from the total investment required to open a store. The total investment, covering fit-out, equipment, signage, marketing, legal fees and working capital, typically falls in the range of £275,000 to £360,000 excluding VAT, depending on the location and size of the premises.

Ongoing costs include a royalty fee of 5% of gross sales and a marketing fee of 1% of gross sales. Third-party financing is available, and Creams has links with lenders who understand the franchise model and can support funding applications.

A Market With Real Momentum

The dessert dining sector continues to perform strongly across the country. Consumers of all ages, from families to students and young professionals, are drawn to the Creams experience, and the brand's broad menu and welcoming atmosphere create repeat custom across multiple dayparts. The addition of delivery through major platforms means franchisees are not reliant solely on dine-in revenue, providing an important secondary income stream.

According to IBISWorld market data, the ice cream and frozen dessert sector in the UK has shown consistent consumer demand, and branded dessert parlour concepts have become a fixture on high streets across the country.

Is Creams the Right Opportunity for You?

The Creams Cafe Franchise is well suited to experienced hospitality operators and ambitious entrepreneurs who have strong people management skills and a passion for customer service. The brand values partners who can follow a proven system while motivating their teams to deliver an exceptional guest experience consistently.

Brand Heritage and the Founders' Vision

Adam Mani and Balal Aqil set up Creams in 2008 after spotting that mainstream high-street chains were treating desserts as an afterthought. The first restaurant opened its doors in Southall in 2011, and demand grew so quickly that the founders built their own gelato factory the same year to keep up with volume. Mani has spoken openly in UK hospitality press about the early years and the philosophy behind the brand.

That mass-market positioning, indulgent menu, theatrical interiors and accessible price points, is what franchise partners are buying into when they sign with Creams today.

Training and Onboarding at the Centre of Excellence

Creams opened its dedicated Centre of Excellence inside the Nottingham flagship in September 2022, giving franchise partners and their management teams a permanent training base in the Midlands. The 21-day Creams Academy programme covers gelato handling, waffle and crepe production, front-of-house service standards, EPOS and stock control, food-safety compliance and team leadership. Once stores are trading, partners are supported by a dedicated operational field team that carries out audits, refresher sessions and menu-launch training. Managing Director Othman Shoukat has framed the centre as a way to keep the network unified as it scales.

A Multi-Unit Growth Path

Creams is built around the idea that a single store should be a stepping stone, not the finish line. The network already includes more than 30 multi-unit franchise partners, and the brand has set out a public ambition to grow from around 100 sites today to 300 stores across the UK and international markets in the coming years. New territory is being prioritised in the Midlands, the North of England, Wales and Scotland, where catchment density and footfall make multi-site portfolios realistic for the right operator.

Marketing, Delivery and Digital Reach

Head-office marketing handles national campaigns, menu launches, influencer activity and SEO, while franchisees get local social-media support and asset packs for their own catchments. The brand's summer 2022 push reached an audience of more than 47 million people, and seasonal menu drops such as the Pavlova Puffs range and the Toasty Treats winter menu give partners regular reasons to bring customers back. All major delivery platforms, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, are live across the estate, smoothing the daily revenue curve outside peak dine-in hours.

The UK Dessert Market Backdrop

Branded dessert dining sits inside the wider UK ice cream and frozen-dessert category, which has held up well against broader hospitality headwinds thanks to its low average ticket and strong appeal to families, students and Gen-Z social-occasion spend. Independent sector analysis such as the UK ice cream production industry analysis from IBISWorld points to consistent consumer demand, premiumisation and format innovation as the structural tailwinds, all of which play to the Creams model of theatre, in-house gelato and frequently refreshed limited-time offers.

Interested in exploring more opportunities in this sector? Take a look at other food franchise opportunities available on Franchise Hunt.