It’s June-2026 and Summer is well and truly here. If you've ever walked past an Udderlicious shop on a warm afternoon, you'll already have a pretty good idea of what that means for the business.

The long queues full of happy faces, the sheer joy when someone tucks into a delicious ice cream on a sunny day. There's really nothing quite like it and, every summer, it causes a few people on my mailing list to start asking: "I keep meaning to look into this more seriously. Is it too late to get started?"

It’s never too late, but timing does matter, and here's why:

Launching an Udderlicious franchise is not something which happens overnight - from initial conversation to opening day is a journey of several months. There's a process to work through, training to complete and, perhaps the most involved part of the whole process, finding the right location, which is absolutely essential, so this can be the part which takes the most time.

Finding your location

It goes without saying that an Udderlicious shop works best somewhere with strong footfall, but it also has to be the right kind of footfall. A busy spot where the people passing through are exactly the kind of customers who'll want to drop in on impulse, without hassle, is worth far more than a high-traffic location that doesn't quite fit.

You want this location to be busy, but not "too busy." The ideal spot is somewhere easily accessible and on customers' natural route, rather than somewhere they're rushing through to get somewhere else, such as a walkable shopping area or high street where people are already happy to slow down and spend some time.

In practical terms, the ideal Udderlicious premises is somewhere between 650 and 1,250 square feet, with a sensible layout - square or rectangular spaces work best - and enough room for a front-of-house sales area, a kitchen and food preparation space, and a stockroom. Visibility, accessibility, and the overall feel of the location all matter, too.

Raj and Raj have seen enough locations over the years to know pretty quickly whether something has potential or not, and that knowledge is yours to draw on. You don't have to figure it out yourself, and if you already have somewhere in mind, they'll be happy to help you assess whether it could work.

Ready for summer ahead of time…

One of the things that makes the Udderlicious franchise so well set up for the season ahead is that Raj and Raj never wait for the warm weather to arrive before preparing for it. The summer range had already taken shape, with some wonderful new flavours among the new additions - exactly the kind of thing that gets people talking, brings regulars back to try something new, and gives the shops a fresh reason to visit just as footfall is building.

Why now is the right moment to start

If you’re considering the possibility of opening in time for the next peak season in spring or summer of 2027, you need to start moving soon. The people who will be standing behind an Udderlicious counter next summer, watching those queues form, are the ones who start seriously putting in the work in the next few months.