Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 04, 2025

Millie's Ice Cream Partners with Franchise FastLane for National Expansion

Discuss on Substack participate in discussion on bluesky View History of this news story on GitHub
Original Source

TLDR

  • Millie's partnership with Franchise FastLane's CarPool program provides entrepreneurs with proven systems and coaching to successfully launch profitable ice cream franchises in new markets.
  • Franchise FastLane's CarPool program offers emerging brands like Millie's structured coaching, administrative support, and territory mapping to scale their franchise operations systematically.
  • Millie's expansion through franchising spreads community-focused ice cream shops that bring people together and create local business opportunities across more neighborhoods nationwide.
  • A chef-founded ice cream brand that started with a kitchen ice cream maker now partners with Franchise FastLane to bring its authentic, community-focused shops to hometowns everywhere.

Impact - Why it Matters

This partnership represents a significant development in the franchise industry, particularly for food and beverage brands seeking to scale while maintaining authenticity. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it demonstrates how successful local businesses can leverage professional franchise development services to expand their reach without losing their core identity. Consumers benefit from having access to high-quality, chef-inspired ice cream experiences in more communities nationwide. The collaboration also highlights the growing trend of established franchise development companies supporting emerging brands through specialized programs like CarPool, which could inspire other small businesses to consider franchising as a viable growth strategy. For the ice cream industry specifically, this expansion brings more artisanal, locally-focused options to markets that may have been dominated by larger corporate chains.

Summary

Millie's Homemade Ice Cream, the beloved Pittsburgh-based ice cream brand founded by husband-and-wife duo Chad and Lauren Townsend, has partnered with Franchise FastLane through their innovative CarPool program to accelerate nationwide expansion. The Townsends, who started their business in 2016 after Chad's experience as a chef in Pittsburgh's top restaurants and a Michelin-starred kitchen in France, have grown Millie's from a kitchen experiment to 20 locations across Pennsylvania and Florida through organic growth and franchising. Their decision to begin franchising in 2021 was driven by loyal customers who frequently asked how they could bring Millie's to their own hometowns, with some of those enthusiastic fans eventually becoming franchisees themselves.

The partnership with Franchise FastLane's CarPool program provides Millie's with the professional coaching, strategy, and administrative support needed to scale responsibly while preserving the brand's authentic community feel and chef-inspired quality. Chad Townsend emphasized that CarPool represents "the missing link" as they expand beyond Pennsylvania, bringing the structure needed for growth without compromising the welcoming atmosphere that defines Millie's. The CarPool program, launched in 2023, offers emerging brands development coaching and administrative services including organic lead qualification, territory mapping, compliance assistance, and access to Franchise FastLane's exclusive MasterMind program where brand leaders collaborate to strengthen systems and identify growth opportunities.

Tim Koch, President & COO of Franchise FastLane, expressed confidence in Millie's potential for nationwide success, noting that the Townsends built their business on passion, quality, and community connection. Franchise FastLane, which has helped award over 9,000 franchise units since its 2017 launch, currently partners with approximately two dozen franchisors in its full-service program and works with another 14 brands through CarPool. Millie's expansion strategy focuses on finding franchise partners who share their commitment to hospitality, community engagement, and bringing local flavors to life through their signature homemade ice creams made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

Source Statement

This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, Millie's Ice Cream Partners with Franchise FastLane for National Expansion

blockchain registration record for this content.