Get to know our newest Franchise Owners, Adam and Tiffany McWaters, and WHY they chose to live their dream!

October 4, 2023

As the proud new owners of a Carousel’s Soft Serve Icery food truck, our recent franchisees Adam and Tiffany McWaters now have the huge business advantage of a minimal-risk, high-return storefront-on-wheels. Their truck is a low upfront cash investment in their very own personalized asset—meaning rather than renovating someone else’s investment, such as real estate, the McWaters are building their own commodity without past wear-and-tear, one proven to provide a great ROI.

Best of all, the mobility of a storefront-on-wheels multiplies its profit potential. While brick-and-mortar retail depends on a neighborhood’s economic vitality to draw foot traffic, Adam and Tiffany are free to court business anywhere in their region, any day. With this approach, there are surefire Carousel’s sales locations to be found no matter where you live—schools, businesses, hospitals, churches and sporting events of all sizes, with endless potential for fundraisers, employee appreciation and events, year-round. What all this means is, Carousel’s franchisees are able to launch their businesses with built-in customer bases—a true rarity for new entrepreneurs in any industry.

In the McWaters’ Bryan-College Station business zone of Texas’ Brazos County— packed with nearly 270,000 customers of all ages—operates one of the most energetic and thriving college sports communities in all of Texas, known as “Aggieland” (a reference to the area’s storied Texas A&M University). There, a combo of four massive sports venues—Texas A&M’s home football stadium, Kyle Field, baseball’s Olsen Field, Aggie Soccer Stadium, and basketball’s Reed Arena—provide in-demand business before, during and after every game, concert, or entertainment event. The nearby Aggie Park, a 20-acre outdoor green space in the heart of campus, and Aglantis, the university’s aquarium, are two more huge hubs for sight-seeing and student customers.

In addition, the Bryan-College Station area houses 20 different rec sports leagues (which traditionally, are massive-draw events for Carousel’s-loving crowds everywhere), in action across dozens of county-owned fields and properties, which include pools and water parks, skate parks, horseshoe courts and disc golf, barbecue pits, fishing ponds and trails. And if those weren’t enough year-round sales spots, the region’s family-fun amusement parks, pick-your-own fruit farms, speedways and museums draw dessert-ready sightseers every day, ready and waiting for the warmhearted, memory-filled spirit we at Carousel’s seek to promote and preserve with every ice we serve.

But the McWaters say it wasn’t just easy access to crowds that drew them to franchise involvement; the Carousel’s brand character was a big part of their decision to join the family. We seek to engage the fabric of every community we serve, and not only are schools, small businesses and churches great lanes of commerce, they are primary beneficiaries of our Carousel’s Cares philanthropy program, a long-term vision of our Founder & CEO Corey Curtyo. Tiffany says, “Upon meeting the Carousel’s brand, we were immediately drawn to their ‘Why’: The mission of building a product and place that connects families. Giving back through Carousel’s Cares, bringing families and communities together through extravagant generosity—for us, these shared goals go beyond profit.”

Launching a new business venture can be stressful for first-time and experienced business owners alike, so we provide ongoing, clear and interactive business guidance. Adam notes, “The entire Carousel’s team was immediately welcoming, and remained friendly and helpful throughout every step of the process, no matter how many questions we had. Running this type of operation was new to us, they understood that and were always there, knowing how excited we were to have a business we could develop within our household.” Beyond receiving plenty of shared know-how, the McWaters affirm that simply knowing they could immediately offer a time-proven dessert that checks all the best boxes—tasty, refreshing and fun—eased any worries. To adapt an old saying, the proof is in the Soft-Serve Ice!

While our trademark taste is usually enough to earn us a Carousel’s convert, we often hear from owners and customers alike that their favorite Carousel’s moments involve the general enjoyment of life that surrounds our trucks, a concept Adam has definitely noticed. “We were of course impressed with the overall quality of the product, the taste and texture—especially, our favorite, the mango gelati—but the presentation also made such a strong impression on us,” says Adam. “The truck atmosphere is something so fun, authentic and carefree. The Carousel’s truck just seems to bring a happiness with it, to everyone we encounter, wherever we go with it. Always having joy around your place of business—that may be the best part!”

Ultimately, Adam and Tiffany say their decision to join the Carousel’s family wasn’t simply about sure sales, but rather our full-circle vision. Tiffany explains, “The more we learned about Carousel’s, the better we felt. And again, our shared values are so important to us: Family comes first. Give generously. Our joy is our strength. Choose love. Dream big. Those ideas are what bring us together as not only partners, but as a business family.” For us, that’s a mission accomplished, as it isn’t just smooth logistics and great brand personality we seek to offer—from the outset, we want all franchisees to feel at home, and to always know that we aim to serve communities, not just sell to them.