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The Blueprint:
- MilkShake Factory opening 1,550-square-foot store at Woodbury Common
- Franchisee Ben Li plans two more Long Island locations
- Chain has more than 50 U.S. stores after franchising began in 2023
- Woodbury store to create a dozen jobs including managers
Something sweet is coming to the Woodbury Common shopping center.
The retail complex will be home to Long Island’s first MilkShake Factory, which is slated to open in a 1,550-square-foot space later this year.
Franchisee Ben Li will own and operate the Woodbury MilkShake Factory, giving the growing chain a Long Island foothold. Li, who has a background in business investment and real estate development and some franchise experience, says he also plans to open two more locations here.
“After moving to Long Island, we really wanted to build something long term here and become part of the local community,” Li told LIBN. “Ice cream has always been my favorite dessert. Opening this kind of business felt like a great opportunity to do that.”
When exploring new franchises, Li said he was drawn to MilkShake Factory for the quality of its products and that the business has been operated by four generations of the same family.
“The heritage behind the brand is what attracted me most. It is not just another trendy dessert concept,” Li said. “Personally, I also really like the quality of the products, I genuinely feel it is the best milkshake I have ever had.”
The roots of the MilkShake Factory go back to 1914, when husband-and-wife Greek immigrants Charlie and Orania Sarandou opened a chocolate shop and soda fountain in Pittsburgh called Dona’s Chocolate Shop. Subsequent generations of the family operated the shop and opened a separate chocolate factory nearby in 1973.
In 2003, Charlie and Orania’s great-granddaughter Dana Edwards Manatos rebranded the family’s business as MilkShake Factory and 13 years later, the family opened several more stores around the Pittsburgh area. Franchising of the MilkShake Factory concept began in 2023, and the chain now has more than 50 locations in the U.S. with many more in the pipeline.
The total investment to open a Milkshake Factory franchise ranges from $510,492 to $772,548, according to the company’s franchise disclosure document.
MilkShake Factory’s menu features classic milkshakes, non-dairy shakes and signature milkshakes like Campfire S’mores, Chocolate Cake Shake, and Cookie Jar. Its gourmet milkshakes feature creations like Bananas Foster, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Confetti Frosted Cupcake and several others. MilkShake Factory also sells housemade ice cream, sundaes and a variety of chocolates and other confections, including s’mores, peanut butter toffee, cookies & cream and chocolate cake pops.
Li is currently in the permitting process to build the Woodbury location, which will create several employment opportunities.
“We are planning to build a team with a general manager, one or two assistant general managers, and about a dozen team members once the store is fully operating,” Li said. The franchisee said he is aiming to open the Woodbury store by the end of the third quarter.
Doug Weinstein and John Genovese of RIPCO Real Estate represented the landlord, Kimco Realty, in the Woodbury MilkShake Factory lease transaction.
