Ben & Jerry's plans to open stores in Christchurch and Queenstown, the global icecream chain has announced.
"Christchurch is a beautiful, iconic city and we just could not ignore the enthusiasm that we saw when the team stopped there during their sampling tour earlier this year," Ben & Jerry's national retail operations manager Sean Farrell said.
The company started in the United States over 40 years ago, and made its first move into New Zealand in December 2015. Most recently, it opened a store in Auckland's Mission Bay.
"The thriving success of this location has laid the foundations for growth into the South Island, it is looking like the next Ben & Jerry's Scoop Store will be in Christchurch, closely followed by Queenstown," Ben & Jerry's said in a press release.
The company says it's looking for "like-minded franchisees" who want to open a store in their area, announcing plans to open 20 new stores across Australia and New Zealand by 2020.
Ben & Jerry's says its social mission "really aligns with the forward thinking culture in New Zealand".
Its ingredients are 100 percent Fairtrade and GMO-free, and the company is part of the Caring Dairy movement.
Ben & Jerry's says the Christchurch store will be open before the summer season ends, between November 2018 and February 2019.
Queenstown does not have a confirmed time frame yet.
Newshub.
