Founded by longtime friends Barra Abousalem and Omar Falaneh, Eiffel Waffle has combined homemade ice cream and trend-savvy branding to fuel nationwide franchise growth.
Eiffel Waffle, a gourmet dessert concept founded by childhood friends Omar Falaneh and Barra Abousalem, has quickly grown from a side hustle into a scalable franchise opportunity. With its vibrant brand identity, social media appeal and super-premium house-made ice cream, the brand is now gaining momentum with franchisees across the country.
“When we first opened our doors in Downers Grove, we had lines down the block,” said Abousalem. “It was a huge hit, and from that first month, people were already interested in licensing our name. But we didn’t feel like the time was right — we needed to establish operations and build a strong foundation.”
Instead of jumping straight into franchising, Falaneh and Abousalem focused on growing the brand organically. They opened six corporate locations before pursuing franchise growth — a decision that gave them the time to refine operations, build systems and automate key processes.
“We wanted to go through all the mistakes ourselves, so our franchisees wouldn’t have to,” said Abousalem. “We worked with a franchise consultant to help with the structure. Once we were legally able to sell franchises in the states we were targeting, we already had 600 inquiries.”
That early interest confirmed what the founders already believed: Eiffel Waffle’s simplified operations and low barrier to entry would appeal to aspiring entrepreneurs. “A lot of people want to start a business but don’t know how,” said Falaneh. “They’re looking for something affordable and easy to run. We knew Eiffel Waffle was perfect for that. We’ve made it as simple as possible — everything from operations to training to sourcing.”
But offering a streamlined model wasn’t enough — the team knew quality had to come first. Originally, the brand used a third-party ice cream supplier, but as they prepared to franchise, that lack of control became a problem. “We didn’t control the cost or quality,” said Abousalem. “So we stopped using that supplier and committed to making our own.”
With no prior experience, the two founders spent six months perfecting their own recipe. “We had zero experience making ice cream,” said Falaneh. “We invested a lot of money in machines, supplies and ingredients. We were in the kitchen for 16-18 hours a day, testing flavors and techniques.”
The result was a proprietary product with full flavor flexibility — something the Eiffel Waffle team could now adapt quickly for trends or seasonal offerings. “If something’s trending — like the Dubai chocolate bar — we can turn it into an ice cream flavor in a day or two,” said Falaneh. “And franchisees benefit from that. We can send them pre-formulated mixes, no recipe sharing needed. Just consistency and quality.”
That commitment to supporting franchisees extends far beyond ice cream. “We want to make sure our franchisees know they’ve got the support they need,” said Falaneh. “That’s our number one priority.”
To ensure legal compliance and set a strong foundation, Eiffel Waffle partnered with the franchise law firm Spadea Lignana. “They’re honestly awesome. The system they use is quite advanced — I love it,” Falaneh said. “We send the potential franchisee the link, they fill out their information and get sent the FDD and the Item 23 to sign — it’s all documented and receipted.”
“They’re very familiar with the filings for all the states. They’re very structured and they’re experts at it,” said Abousalem. “We thought it was going to take four months for Illinois to approve us, but they got it done in a week or two. This was huge for us, especially because we had people in the final stages of our pipeline in Illinois”
As the brand expands into new markets, Falaneh and Abousalem are staying focused on signing passionate, hands-on franchise owners. “We weren’t interested in big investors opening 10-15 units right away,” said Abousalem. “We want people who are passionate and hands-on.”
With a vibrant brand, a high-quality product, and a supportive franchise system, Eiffel Waffle is poised to continue its upward climb — one photogenic dessert at a time.
