Can you name an Orlando company that added stores during the Great Recession and plans to expand even more over the next three years? The answer is a local favorite whose product you may have enjoyed this summer: Twistee Treat.
Twistee Treat first opened their distinctive ice cream-cone-shaped stores around Central Florida in 1983, and soon after sold franchises in the U.S. and Canada. When the company ran into financial problems and declared bankruptcy, the franchisees kept their stores and operated them as independent, successful businesses.
The Twistee Treat at the corner of McGuire and State Road 50 in Ocoee was one such franchise. It remains a popular stop for local families, sports teams, and patrons from the McGuire 5 movie theatre across the street. Owners Royetta and Dennis Ginther rented space for their store from Intram, a real estate/investment company owned by local entrepreneur Rashid Khatib. Khatib partnered with Corey Balzer, a Central Floridian who worked as a Vice President for TGI Friday’s. They saw great potential in the Twistee Treat brand.
They formed a new company, Twistee Treat USA, with Balzer as President, and acquired the available rights to the brand. Balzer spent a year working in the Ginther’s store to learn the business. He made cones and change at the window, but also learned about purchasing, ordering, and mixing Twistee Treat’s signature cone, the Twirl. Balzer saw the joy families shared by eating ice cream together.
“This is the only business where you hand someone your product and they smile every time,” Balzer said. “Our taste secret is that we use real ice cream. In fact, everything is made fresh in the store, including our waffle bowls, cookies and brownies.”
Twistee Treat USA works closely with the independent owners. Balzer said, “We owe a great debt to the store owners who kept the brand alive.” The company bought some of the iconic cone-shaped stores from owners in Canada and moved them to Central Florida locations. They’ve also designed a high-tech version of the cone store that includes a drive through window and the option to place orders via iPad when lines get long.
The company recently opened a store on Curry Ford Road, and plans to open 18 more in the next three years throughout Central Florida. Each store will employ 20-25 people, which means Twistee Treat will add approximate 430 jobs to the local economy.
Balzer said, “It’s a tribute to our success that we’ve seen a significant increase in job applications for our new stores. We received 300-400 applications for our Davenport store, 500-600 for our Curry Ford store, and approximately 1800 for our next store in Poinciana.”
Twistee Treat encourages employees to experiment with new variations on their classic twirls and other confections. For example, an employee at the Davenport store invented a flavor combination for the twirl that tastes like caramel apple. The company plans to roll out this special flavor this Halloween at selected stores.
Balzer loves the ice cream business and is very confident about Twistee Treat’s long term prospects. He said, “I’ve been in business for over 25 years, and this is the happiest business I’ve ever been in.”
You can learn more about the company and apply for jobs online at www.twisteetreat.com.
