Boost Your Frozen Yogurt Sales This Winter

Hot ideas to diversify your frozen yogurt shop this winter

Frozen yogurt shops are a thriving business, especially during the warmer seasons. Business booms in the summer time as everyone wants to find a way to beat the heat, satisfy their sweet tooth, and stay in shape for the bathing suit season. But when it comes to winter, you may notice your business slowing down as people are looking for treats that can warm them up. Here are some fun ideas that other shops have tried out that have been successful in keeping their frozen yogurt shop relevant during the cold seasons.

Adding a “Hot Twist” to your Current Product:

“Last December, the chain started its Froth beverage bar, which makes flavored hot chocolate by melting the chocolate toppings available as options for frozen-yogurt customers. Popular varieties include the P.B. Confidential, made from melted Reese’s peanut butter cups and steamed milk, or the Cliffhanger, made from melted Andes chocolate mints.”
Mark Brandau
http://nrn.com


Bring the Heat:

You can generate more foot traffic and increase sales by adding hot drinks to the menu. Check out how Forever Yogurt did this with some unique yummy ideas.

“This year Forever Yogurt extended its Froth line by offering espresso, which could turn any of the flavored hot chocolates into a latte. Other flavor offerings include Hershey’s milk chocolate and dark chocolate, Nutella, and Nestle Abuelita.”
Mark Brandau
http://nrn.com


This has been a very successful addition and ultimately increases frozen yogurt sales. Heck, I’ve even seen some shops sell sushi and miso soup in their frozen yogurt shop! Talk about an interesting menu.

Get Traditional:

Tis the season during these winter months. The season for pumpkin pie and peppermint candy canes. It’s great to get into the spirit as people are looking to find fun ways to celebrate with their families. That’s why having some traditional Christmas flavors and toppings can be of great benefit to your frozen yogurt store. The other day I had strawberry frozen yogurt with
cheesecake chunks and it was amazing. It got me thinking how yummy would vanilla bean frozen yogurt and pumpkin pie chunks be. Or peppermint and brownie chunks. Use your imagination, the sky's the limit!

Give a little bit:

Everyone is in the giving mood and love having creative ways to do so. Check out how Orange Leaf helps their customers "kill two birds with one stone" by giving back and getting a treat.

“In addition to those offerings, Orange Leaf is running a philanthropic promotion that rewards customers with three free ounces of yogurt for every new pair of pajamas they bring in to donate to families in need. A pajama drive stands out from other promotions because it is not a common clothing item like coats that businesses ask for, but nonetheless would be appreciated by needy families, Travis said. He added that the cause-marketing angle is very important to each Orange Leaf store’s goal of becoming entwined in the local community.”
Mark Brandau
http://nrn.com

How can Cafe Cartel Systems help you?

Be sure to check out the best point of sale system for frozen yogurt shops, cafe cartel systems!

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Frozen Yogurt Machines -Buying from Overseas

Is it worth buying overseas? The Frozen Yogurt machine is at the epicenter of the frozen yogurt shop. It determines quality and quantity output of your yogurt as well as operation and service costs which can be a bit mysterious until you have actually purchased the machines in which case you are a bit stuck.

To help carry the load we are examining a few yogurt machines every week and different important aspects of the upkeep of these machines so you can compare them to the ROI of the machine.

There are a few major players in the US that most people looking to open a shop come across; Taylor, Forte, Stoelting and Sani Serve. From recent pricing investigations these machines run from $8,000 - $13,000 with Taylor being the most expensive.

I also came across Alpine which gets their machines from a manufacturer in China. Now some of the warnings I have come across about buying overseas were that if you buy overseas you have to order any broken parts from overseas, many machines not being NSF or UL certified, and high risk of scams. The site seems to address all three issues on the home page stating “free spare parts, 3 year warranty on motors and compressors, and the man behind these machines is a frozen yogurt shop owner in AZ.”

Whether or not you think the Alpine is the machine for you they had some interesting points about what to look at when shopping for a commercial frozen yogurt machine. for example; they compared their machines to taylor and reasoned about how the energy bill alone is outrageous compared to how much yogurt you are actually putting out and suggests that for most places it is not necessary. Here are some of their key points when comparing to Taylor, one of the top brands when it comes to commercial frozen yogurt machines.

1. Each machine has two separate, independent motors and compressors so they require much more energy to operate. That is fine if you are running a very high volume business with 1 or 2 machines. What I found with most self serve yogurt store is they have from 6 to 8 machines to provide a variety of flavors so they carry a lot less load. . What I think people are looking for is machines that are energy efficient since they are only being used a few times a day each during peak hours.

2. Taylor uses two motors and two compressors means: More energy consumption – My store had 4 machines and cost me about $1,600 in electricity monthly. Now I have 8 Alpine and the utilities dropped considerably to only $900 monthly! More moving parts that could break down – Since the new machines were too expensive, I bought some used ones as an alternative and they cost me on an average $800 per month for repair and maintenance for four of them.

3. Expensive cost to build out - Since most commercial rental spaces have about 200amp electrical panel and because of the load that Taylor needs, a new operator has to add an additional panel and that can cost anywhere between $5,000 to $25,000 depending where the main electrical line they have to bring it from. With our machines, existing 200 amp panel should be enough.

Keep in mind it wasn’t easy finding additional information on these machines, but that seems to be the trend with commercial yogurt machines. I do appreciate the free manual and the specifications page on the site. There are some important aspects to think about when considering buying from this company, they offer a warranty but don’t say much about service. Sure you have a manual but how much will it cost you in the long run? It depends on how long it takes to fix.

There are some opinions out there that service through the yogurt machine supplier is expensive and unnecessary. A simple refrigerator repair man could do the job. If you have a refrigerator repair company that you have an on going service plan or relationship with, it may be worth it to buy a machine such as the Alpine 360. I would suggest bringing in the specifications to the refrigerator repair company and collaborating with an expert on parts and functionality. That way you have a local go to guy that knows what to expect and where to find the parts if necessary.

Be sure to check out the best point of sale system for frozen yogurt shops, cafe cartel systems!

Click On a Link Below To:

Learn more information on the Frozen Yogurt Industry

View Case Studies 
Get a quote to find the best option for your business

Frozen Yogurt - Must Have Toppings

Frozen yogurt shop, must have toppings for classic combos

Do you aimlessly add toppings with no goal in mind only to find that these don't taste that great together. Here are some delicious savory combos to remember next time you treat yourself to some fro yo so you don't miss the mark.

1. Strawberry cheesecake - cheese cake froyo, strawberries, strawberry syrup, whip cream

2. Tropical Treat - Tart Flavored Froyo, Mango slices, pineapple, coconut

3. Morning Glory - Vanilla froyo, blueberry, almond, granola

4. Chunky Monkey - Swirl 2 -3 of the following - vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter; walnuts, chocolate chips, bananas

5. S'more Please - vanilla chocolate or swirl froyo; graham cracker, chocolate chip, marshmallow

6. Classic Crunch - Vanilla froyo, toffee, fudge


These are great combos for frozen yogurt shops to know and boast. And of course make sure you have all the ingredients before doing so. there is nothing worse than having a customer come in for something specific and walk out without it. You may never see them again!

Be sure to check out the best point of sale system for frozen yogurt shops, cafe cartel systems!

Click On a Link Below To:

Learn more information on the Frozen Yogurt Industry

View Case Studies 
Get a quote to find the best option for your business

Frozen Yogurt Machines: Cooling Systems

Air-Cooled Vs. Water-Cooled

When you are looking at frozen yogurt machines, you may notice that some are air cooled and others are water cooled. So to clear up any confusion I am going to talk a little bit about the differences between the two types and how to know which is a better fit for your frozen yogurt shop.

Let’s start with the air cooling; and yes it is like it sounds it used air to keep the machines cool. Without getting too crazy on specifics, this means that hot air will be blown out of the machine while cool air is used within. In other words, you will need a ventilation system that may require a back room or chimneys to take the hot air straight up to the ventilation system.

When it comes to water cooled yogurt machines there are two ways to get the cold water in and the hot water out. One is using regular water, but you may need a recycling system depending on the state you live in and also have to consider the monthly charge for water consumption. The other way to use the water cooling system is to use glycol(antifreeze) in a loop to a chiller located outside. Either way, if you choose to do water you will need a cooling unit, most likely located outside or on the roof.

The key components to keep in mind are square footage, venting, and cost of utilities.

We hope this blog has given you some insight and will help you weigh your options for you frozen yogurt business.

Learn more information on the Frozen Yogurt Industry

View Case Studies 

Get a quote to find the best option for your business

Opening a Frozen Yogurt Store

Opening a frozen yogurt location can be as stressful as it can be rewarding. As an industry that tends to experience long lines and high traffic, it is important to stay detailed and efficient during operating hours. One way to make your yogurt location more productive is to implement an easy to use and efficient point of sale system, and to make sure that it is compatible with your specific industry.

Many locations throughout Arizona, including Yogurtology in Scottsdale, have found success implementing a Frozen Yogurt Point of Sale System. It is easy to setup, easy to use, however extremely complex in its capabilities.

Who is CCS?: Cafe Cartel Systems has developed  a POS system specifically tailored to the requirements of the frozen yogurt industry. As an industry leader in providing customized frozen yogurt software and hardware, CCS has also remained as an affordable solution for many frozen yogurt locations, including Scottsdale’s Yogurtology and many others throughout the state.


How does it fit with my yogurt shop? Cafe Cartel Systems has done much of the leg work for frozen yogurt store owners. While other point of sale systems are built with more of a generic solution, the CCS system comes prepared with yogurt menu items, an integrated scale, and countless reports designed for the industry.

Cafe Cartel Systems has been approved by the Department of Weights and Measures, which is important for any business using an integrated scale.  The system will help you control and monitor inventory, execute and track promotional campaigns, run analytical reports, and schedule and track payroll. Cafe Cartel Systems has helped countless frozen yogurt store owners open their business.
CCS is the most powerful yet affordable solution on the market for Frozen Yogurt stores in Arizona. Take a look at the CCS website to view the POS system and software.

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Welcome to the Frozen Yogurt Blog!

Greeting to all! I would like to take a moment and dedicate this blog to the small business men and women out there that are working hard to contribute to their economy, create jobs, and following their dream of owning your own frozen yogurt shop. It’s not easy to be the boss, you constantly have to stay on top of yourself in order to succeed, in other words there is no one out there outlining exactly what you should be doing to reach your goals.

This blog is intended to offer advice and examples that will lend a hand in all areas that are small business related and if anything get the wheels turning to lead you down the right path.
These days you may notice a lot of rapid changes due to many factors, but that can all be traced back to advances in technology. These changes may have you feeling a bit bewildered when trying to stay ahead of the game.

A few examples is having an updated website, utilizing social media, automated services and machines. It may be a bit overwhelming trying to adapt to such advances, but in the end what a lot of these advances can do is give you more time and flexibility to focus on the aspects of business that will never be outdated. I’m talking about good old fashion business values such as great customer service, creating a positive customer experience, product and service quality. These advances can also assist you in keeping better track of your operations and providing better security.

Well with that I welcome you to my blog and hope that you find it helpful.

Cheers!