Rachel DeMarco
February 17, 2013
Fro. Zen. Yo
Fro.Zen. Yo is a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise that was founded in WashingtonD.C. The company was started in 2009 and began franchising in 2011. People are
attracted to this franchise because it is a relatively simple business to run
and sells a product that everyone loves and at a competitive price. The size of
the building required for the store is very small which entrepreneurs find
attractive. The frozen yogurt product is also a healthier alternative to
traditional ice cream.
Being able to choose your own
amount of ice cream, and mix the ice cream types, make it very appealing. Being
a self-serve business has advantages for the owners and the consumers. From the
owner’s side they can minimize labor costs as no one is needed to scoop or
prepare the frozen yogurt. Customer complaints should also be minimal since the
only one responsible for making a bad frozen yogurt is the consumer who does
the preparation. On the consumer side, selecting your own combination of
yogurts and picking your own toppings make it a better experience than just
ordering ice cream from a typical spot. The risk of not getting exactly what
you want is greater if it is left up to someone else. The owners of these franchises
benefit from the “creating your own” concept from both a customer satisfaction
and profit standpoint.
Fro.Zen.Yo franchise has been in
the news recently and is listed on entrepreneur.com as being part of one of the
fastest growing franchise types in the country. The Fro.Zen.Yo franchise is
currently listed as number 20 in the Unites States for growing franchises. Since
they are trying to go worldwide, they are advertising it through media types
such as the internet, newspapers and magazines. The firm was started by entrepreneur
Chuck Rendelman. His objective is to bring his Fro.Zen.Yo concept to 1,000
franchise units worldwide. The initial franchise fee is $25,000. Other startup costs include a total investment
of between $350,000 and $600,000. The person making this investment must have a
net worth of $1,000,000 and liquid cash available of 150,000 dollars. Ongoing
royalties would be 5.5%. The company does not offer specific financing options
but does provide a link for people where they can use their 401K savings to
help finance their investment. The franchisor offers a lot of training and
support. They have a team dedicated to assisting their franchisees with site selection,
lease negotiation, construction, training, staffing, opening Fro.Zen.Yo and
everything in-between. They also provide marketing support with advertising
plans and newsletters as well as provide observations and evaluations of your
store. I think investing in Fro.Zen.Yo is a great idea. 
Rachel, I think Frozen Yo is a great franchise to get into right now mostly because it is so young and only started franchising in 2011. I feel like so many people love these frozen yogurt types of places. The only problem with this franchise is that there are so many other competitors that are doing this type of frozen yogurt store. I know there are like three places in Worcester that all do the same thing, but just have different names. If Frozen Yo can establish a great reputation for themselves and have great customer service, then I think Frozen Yo could reach the top of great franchises to own. I love how they switch their flavors monthly in order to keep customers interested in what they have to offer. The only big problem for people looking to acquire this franchise is the start up costs and the 5.5% royalty Frozen Yo has over their owners.
ReplyDeleteHi! I share the same interest in frozen yogurt it is one of my favorites! That is why I also wrote my blog base on this franchise. This is because it is a big franchise not only for this business but just in the business of frozen yogurt. It was interesting in reading your blog and finding the same and different information we found. Frozen yogurt is a big thing now in society. There are about over 100 different frozen yogurt business in Connecticut. What makes this franchise so interesting is that it is healthy because it is frozen healthier than ice cream and being able to decorate and put whatever you want on top just makes it that much more fun to eat.I go to get frozen yogurt every time I go home because it is that good. What also makes this franchise good is the pricing of the frozen yogurt, I think that it is a good price for how much you are allowed to get. If I was to choose a franchise to be apart of it would be in the frozen yogurt industry.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I also enjoy frozen yogurt. I work at Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream in my local town and the Corporation decided it was time they welcomed frozen yogurt into the flavors and types of cold deserts we sell. It’s amazing how many more people will come in to get the yogurt. It’s a new product compared to ice cream and is a healthier, sometimes tastier, choice. Another great thing about frozen yogurt is that it give the people who are lactose intolerant or don’t enjoy dairy another option. This opens up more opportunities for those people to view it as a social place where they can sit and talk, similar to café or something along those lines. Frozen yogurt also has flavors that ice cream can’t make like mango or lemonade. It is a great new franchise that can only get better in my opinion.
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