The Future is Sweet: Family of Eight Joins MilkShake Factory as First Franchisees

Micah Paul Keith is an accomplished brand leader with a proven track record of success, boasting over a decade of experience in leading both established and challenger brands. His expertise spans a wide range of areas, including brand strategy and positioning, P&L management, TV and digital communications, and new product development.

Throughout his career, he has been deeply involved in shaping brand identities, devising innovative strategies, and driving business growth through effective marketing initiatives. Micah’s passion for building strong, memorable brands has enabled him to foster enduring connections with consumers and drive brand loyalty. Micah, joined by his wife and six children, have decided to take the leap in franchising with MilkShake Factory, bringing six locations to the Utah market. Micah’s collaborative spirit, expertise on branding, and love of MilkShakes are a perfect match for The MilkShake Factory. Let’s find out why Micah decided to partner with MilkShake Factory. 

Q: What were you doing before you decided to own a MilkShake Factory?

I led food brands across the CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry at companies like
Heinz, Nestlé, and Blue Diamond Growers (Almond Breeze) before starting my own marketing consulting firm where I continue to do what I’ve been doing in building iconic and strong food brands.

Q: What drew you to MilkShake Factory?

What started my attraction to the MSF began with trust in its leadership. Dan Reese and I worked together at Heinz in 2011 when we both were cutting our teeth into brand management.  He has always had integrity and is an extremely capable business leader.  Meeting the founders and the incredible team and partners they’ve put together gave me confidence that this franchise was going to be led well and grow.  Secondly, what sealed the deal for me was going to 7 of the 11 MSF locations in Pittsburgh and tasting the handspun milkshakes and gourmet chocolates myself.  The brand is consistent and iconic and the desserts are incredibly delicious.  When I combine that with all the thoughtful adjustments and tweaks they have made to make the brand and business scalable, I knew this is a special opportunity I could not pass up. 

Q: As the first franchisees in the system, why did you decide to take the leap and partner with MilkShake Factory?

The first-mover advantage is a real advantage in so many areas of business. We can look no further than Crumbl for a brief example.  They now have a reported 113 active competitors, but it is highly unlikely any of those competitors can stop Crumbl’s momentum in beginning the premium cookie craze.  In the MilkShake Factory’s case, their iconic brand has been developed and refined over decades with an awesome line-up of delicious milkshakes and chocolates that are proprietary.  When I saw behind-the-scenes at how much thought and intention has gone into making this brand scalable and operate as easily as possible, along with the vision of the founders, the competency of the leadership, and the vast experience of the partners they have brought in, I feel extremely fortunate to have the first-mover advantage in getting the best locations and leverage my marketing background to grow the brand awareness as quickly as possible.  Additionally, I see and feel the support MSF has and will be giving to me to ensure I’m successful, since so much of their success is going to come from the early franchisees being uber-successful.

Q: What do you most look forward to when it comes to your MilkShake Factory locations?

I’m most looking forward to building up a business and brand that is going to be a meaningful part of people’s lives. I aim to make it a place where communities and families will go to celebrate personal or public victories, young (or young-at-heart) adults will research their potential spouses on dates, and/or anyone else who simply just needs a delicious pick-me-up in the form of a milkshake or creamy chocolate

We are excited for the Keiths to be bringing six locations to the Utah market. The future is sweet!