The ice cream business is an exciting venture, offering entrepreneurs great opportunities in India’s fast-growing dessert market. The Polar Bear franchise cost typically ranges between ₹30–50 Lakh for small to medium outlets, depending on location, store format, and infrastructure requirements.
Known as The Ice Cream Sundae Zone, Polar Bear has rapidly expanded, now boasting over 160 outlets across 25+ cities, making it one of the fastest-growing dessert chains in South India. With proper location selection and efficient operations, the franchise can offer promising profitability and a potential return on investment within 12–24 months.
This is a detailed guide to investing in a franchise covering all areas of investment such as the Polar Bear Franchise Cost, profit margin, eligibility, and details of applying to become an entrepreneur in the Indian frozen dessert market that has proven to be a successful business model.
Polar Bear Brand Overview
Polar Bear in operation since 2008 has established itself as a leading destination of innovative ice cream sundaes and immersive dessert activity. The brand has a successful history of operation of 12+ years and a daily clientele exceeding several hundreds of thousands who have left excellent reviews about the brand making it a name in the competitive ice cream industry.
The franchise system covers more than 160 stores in 25+ cities, and it is one of the most familiar brands of desserts in the area. Its dedication to quality, innovation, and delight of customers has made it become the most loved ice cream parlour by its more than 800 customers. The brand also keeps changing the menu with the seasonal flavors, regional dishes and innovative sundae blends that have kept customers coming back.
To community-oriented entrepreneurs who are fond of desserts and ready to devote their whole life to the excellence of operations, Polar Bear presents a tried pattern that can be used to achieve success in the long term.
Why Polar Bear Is a Fast-Growing Dessert Franchise
- Established Operating System: More than a dozen years of business experience have enabled Polar Bear to establish standardized operations to guarantee uniformity in quality of all outlets as it serves thousands of customers on a daily basis.
- Unparalleled Brand Recall: The Ice Cream Sundae Zone has established a unique niche in the minds of customers and has developed a huge brand recall and customer loyalty in several cities.
- Immersive Experience Focus: Unlike traditional ice cream shops, Polar Bear will focus on generating memorable dessert experiences by organizing workshops, custom sundae bars and store design to appear attractive.
- Innovation-Driven Menu: The constant change of menu and localized flavors such as mango and masala chai, and the latest concepts of desserts make the menu offerings to remain new and exciting.
- Comprehensive Support System: With regard to resources, World-class training, continuous operational support, marketing support, and supply chain management all give the franchisees unparalleled resources in their business journey.
Does Polar Bear Offer a Franchise in India?
Yes, Polar Bear (The Ice Cream Sundae Zone) officially offers franchises in India. Franchise opportunities are available in select cities as part of the brand’s expansion plans. Applicants must be active owner-operators involved in daily operations. The typical franchise format is a parlour-style outlet ranging from 250–500 sq ft. Official investment starts from ₹20 Lakh +, with support for setup, training, and operations.
Polar Bear Franchise Models
| Model / Format | Approx. Store Size / Format | Ideal For / Use |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Parlour / Parlour‑style Outlet | ~250–500 sq ft | Typical outlet in high‑footfall areas — small shops or street‑facing parlours |
| Larger / Flagship / High‑Traffic Outlet | Up to ~700–1000 sq ft | Prime locations, malls, or areas expecting heavier footfall or dine‑in operations |
| Franchise Ownership Model (FOFO) | Variable size (usually parlour or larger) | For business owners operating and managing their own outlet under the Polar Bear brand |
Franchise Requirements & Fit
- Investment Readiness: Candidates must demonstrate financial capacity to invest between ₹20-100 lakh through personal savings, business loans, or secured financing arrangements.
- Operational Commitment: Full-time either working as actual operator or a highly involved role of management by closely working with trusted individuals and being able to monitor day-to-day business activities guarantees business success.
- Location Control: The franchisees must discover or acquire appropriate 200-500 square feet rooms in high exposure, convenient locations with good demographics and foot traffic.
- Related Experience Preferred: Although optional, experience in the field of food and beverage, fast and slow restaurant services, retail management, or hospitality provides a huge benefit to the company in terms of operational effectiveness.
- Clean Financial Situation: Applicants are expected to have a stable credit record and no significant legal problems or bankruptcies as well as no outstanding debts that may jeopardize the business.
Polar Bear Franchise Cost (Estimated Investment)
Having the entire financial picture is useful in ensuring that the entrepreneur plans well before opening the Polar Bear outlet. The Polar bear franchise cost includes several expense categories that depend on location, stores size and choice of formats.
| Category | Cost / Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | ₹5–10 Lakh | Upfront fee; may be higher for premium locations |
| Store Setup & Infrastructure | ₹7.5+ lakh | Includes interior, furniture, décor, lease deposit |
| Equipment & Machinery | ₹2-15 lakh | Freezers, soft-serve machines, POS, storage |
| Initial Inventory & Stock | ₹1-5 lakh | Ice cream mix, toppings, packaging, consumables |
| Working Capital & Miscellaneous | Part of total investment | Licenses, permits, initial marketing, contingency |
| Total Investment (Standard Outlet) | ₹30–50 Lakh | Larger or premium stores may cost ₹80–100 Lakh |
| Store Size / Space | 250–500 sq ft | Flagship or high-traffic stores up to 700–1000 sq ft |
| Break-even / ROI | 12–24 months | Depends on location, sales, and cost management |
| Profit Margin | 20–35% | Average, varies by performance |
How to Apply for Polar Bear Franchise (Step-by-Step) – 2026 Guide
- Check City Availability – Make sure Polar Bear is accepting new franchisees in your city.
- Submit Online Application – Fill out the official franchise form with your details and proposed location.
- Initial Screening – The Polar Bear team reviews your profile and financial readiness.
- Discussion / Discovery Call – Clarify doubts, discuss location and investment details.
- Site Selection & Approval – Propose a location and get approval based on their standards.
- Sign Agreement & Pay Fees – Sign the franchise contract and pay the initial franchise fee.
- Set Up Store – Prepare the outlet: interiors, equipment, inventory, licenses, and staff.
- Training – Attend training for operations, hygiene, customer service, and POS systems.
- Launch Outlet – Open your store with marketing and support from Polar Bear.
- Ongoing Operations – Run the business with continuous support for supply, operations, and marketing
Polar Bear Franchise Profit Margin & ROI
| Financial Metric | Details | Time Frame |
| Franchisee Revenue Share | Franchisees retain approximately 93% of gross sales | Monthly |
| Royalty Payment | About 7% of gross sales remitted to brand for ongoing support | Monthly |
| Break-Even Period | Investment recovery timeline for well-located outlets | 6-12 months |
| Extended ROI Range | Return on investment period depending on performance variables | 12-24 months |
| Profit Margin | High margins due to low food costs and premium sundae pricing | 25-35% typically |
The revenue-sharing model is favorable which guarantees franchisees to keep a huge profit and enjoy the brand support. Polar bear franchise cost recovery is a rather fast venture compared to most food and beverage projects and that is a good investment choice by dessert entrepreneurs.
Why Choose Polar Bear Over Other Ice Cream Brands?
- Higher Franchisee Margins: Polar Bear has a much higher profit-sharing arrangement than most competing ice cream franchise opportunities because it has a retention of about 93% of the revenue.
- Full-time Operational Support: Polar Bear has the full time operational support unlike other brands who only offer little support in terms of site selection and launching and ending with the marketing and supply chain management.
- Scalable Business Model: The open layout to support small kiosk to full store enables business people to begin small and grow as per their success and the market potential.
- Future-Driven Innovation: The effects of the post-pandemic re-invention of the business, the priorities of switching to digital, and the constant development of the menu prove that the brand is focused on being relevant and competitive over time.
- Established Supply Chain: The sourcing is centralized, ingredients are controlled in terms of quality, and the distribution systems are reliable, and, hence, the franchisee has no worries about the supply chain related to procurement issues and consistency.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, the Polar Bear franchise offers a sweet opportunity for entrepreneurs who love desserts and enjoy creating memorable experiences for their customers. With small Polar Bear Franchise Cost, The franchise provides a proven system, ongoing support, and strong brand recognition, helping investors achieve ROI within 12–24 months.
While the franchise comes with excellent training, revenue-sharing models, and operational guidance, success still depends on careful planning—assessing your financial capacity, choosing the right location, and committing to the business fully. For those ready to take the plunge, Polar Bear isn’t just a business—it’s a chance to blend passion, strategy, and community into a rewarding dessert venture.
FAQs
What is the lowest franchise cost of Polar Bear?
The minimum Polar Bear franchise cost starts at ₹20 lakh for small kiosk formats in accessible locations with basic infrastructure requirements.
What is the average recovery period of Polar Bear franchise costs?
The time of Polar bear franchise cost recovery typically takes 6-24 months basing on the location performance, operational efficiency, and the market conditions existing.
Does Polar Bear franchise cost have equipment and inventory?
Yes, total Polar Bear franchise cost includes equipment, machinery, start-up inventory, licenses and working capital necessary to be fully ready to operate.
Does I have the opportunity of reducing Polar Bear franchise cost by smaller formats?
Purely, the choice of small kiosk models is a major cost-saving of the total franchise of Polar Bear, since it does not compromise on brand or profitability potential.
