Customers have seen the mascots and the swirl-based logos. They’re ready for a change, and Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt will help you bring it to them.

Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt WHY  IT  SHOULD  BE  YOUR  TOP  CHOICE  FOR  A  FROZEN  YOGURT  FRANCHISE   Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt boasts a neighborhood-focused theme, a beautifully designed space, signature glass roll-up door, award-winning flavors, and a proven system for earning loyal customers that is extremely competitive in the markets where its stores already do business.

The frozen yogurt market has grown exponentially in the past five years (average growth of 20.5% annually)* and shows no sign of slowing. That’s great, right? Well, yes and no. The problem with this burgeoning market is that it’s led to a multitude of independent and franchise self-serve frozen yogurt shops that blend into a sea of bright colors and meaningless names including berry, leaf, fresh, and tons of various cutesy names. If you’re reading this, you are likely looking for something different to set your business apart. Customers have seen the mascots and the swirl-based logos. They’re ready for a change, and Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt will help you bring it to them.

This white paper is about what makes Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt different from other franchise and independent yogurt shops. Keep in mind that this is not ad-speak different when the word ‘different’ is thrown around to make you pay attention. Zoyo set out to be a different kind of franchisor, and what they achieved has dominated one market and has started growth in several other markets around the United States because of their product,

their relationship with franchisees, and their marketing plan.

JOSEPH VERBEKE Zoyo  Neighborhood  Yogurt  Regional  Developer  &  Franchisee  

*Statistic courtesy of www.IBISworld.com

Why  Self-­‐Serve  Frozen  Yogurt?  

1) Frozen yogurt is really gosh darn good, and can be a healthy treat for consumers looking to satisfy their sweet tooth without the heaviness of scooped ice cream or custard or the vanilla/chocolate blandness of a soft-serve cone.

2) Entrepreneurs love the self-serve concept because it enables consumers to have a fun experience with a low labor cost; while sales increase, it is not required that the labor costs increase in lock step.

3) The wide variety of flavors and toppings attracts a wide

spectrum of potential customers (frozen yogurt brands like to tout that their target market is kids aged 1-100)

4) In general, the self-serve frozen yogurt model is easy to replicate and an easy business to run.

Zoyo  Neighborhood  Yogurt  -­‐  A  Different  Franchisor  The founders of Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt know what it’s like to be a franchisee because they are the largest franchisee of Dunkin’ Donuts west of the Mississippi River. They’ve taken what they’ve learned from that experience and put it to use with Zoyo. Here’s what makes them a different franchisor:

• Zoyo corporate has built relationships with vendors while building the brand organically before franchising and passing savings from that relationship through to franchisees.

ü Preferred pricing with Taylor machines & warranty

ü Preferred pricing with yogurt manufacturer passed to franchisees (not purchased through corporate).

ü Preferred pricing for paper products passed to franchisees.

• The company is structured so new franchisees have two levels of support and expertise: corporate (system-wide experience) and regional developers (local experience)

• The umbrella company that founded Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt continues to work with new concepts and shares synergy when applicable across concepts.

All of the above points ultimately lead to increased profitability. Cost savings on core elements of the business like machines, yogurt, and paper goods helps each franchisee’s bottom line. Experience, support and knowledge from corporate and regional developers ultimately lead to happy franchisees.  

A  Different,  Award-­‐Winning  Product  You know you’ve got a good thing going when account managers from YoCream, the product line Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt features in their stores, tries a proprietary Zoyo flavor and is floored by the taste. It’s nice to surprise someone who’s job is frozen yogurt all day, every day.

• Proprietary flavors ü Innovative and

dynamic recipe book ü Proprietary machine

parts and procedures for innovative flavors

• Preferred nation-wide frozen yogurt product.

• Franchisee has the ability to modify offerings based on regional tastes, dietary needs ü Kosher ü Regional specialties like beverages, yogurt recipes, and

toppings • Excellent relationship with Taylor freezer for proprietary

parts and maintaining excellent product.    

I’ve been to hundreds of yogurt shops while working for this company, and I’ve never seen this before. This is amazing!” - YoCream Account Manager

A  Different  Marketing  Plan  The “open it and they will come” mentality may be gone from frozen yogurt, so franchisees need a dependable marketing plan that works to cultivate new business and retain current customers.

• Focus on being a neighborhood-gathering place with community ties encourages loyalty.

• Marketing events and messaging are focused strategically around celebrations.

• Customer affinity program inspires repeat customers allowing owners to focus on developing loyal customers rather than always recruiting new customers which is more costly.***

A  Different  Store  Layout  The brand’s neighborhood theme continues through to the layout of the store. The features, though simple, are strategic:

• Seating - It only makes sense that if you’re going to be the neighborhood gathering place that you have room for customers to gather. Tables are movable so guests can combine them for large groups, parties, and other gatherings.

• Island Toppings bar - Zoyo’s modern, low-profile, island toppings bar enables guests to move around freely to explore the various topping options from fresh, store-prepared fruit to indulgent candy bars to regional offerings. Guests enjoy the room this bar creates and it also encourages a higher ticket price because customers are not ‘herded’ from one point to another in the travel path.

• Kitchen access/registers – An often overlooked part of a business is employee space. In most frozen yogurt stores, the wall of yogurt machines connects to the toppings bar and continues to the register. This creates a barrier between the customer and our staff. Since employee training is based around excellent customer service store cleanliness, staff need to be able to access the store, register, and customers freely.

Franchisees need a dependable marketing plan that works to cultivate new business and retain current customers.

A  Different,  Neighborhood-­‐Based  Concept  Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt is the neighborhood-gathering place for celebrating life’s moments. The neighborhood-based theme runs deep in the veins of the company, from its corporate office, through the franchisees, and right down to the employees themselves. Frozen yogurt is considered a lifestyle purchase, and in being so, Zoyo has strategically placed itself as a “Starbucks of the evening” and markets itself as the perfect hangout for all of life’s friend and family-centered celebratory moments from a first date to a great grade on a math quiz to grandpa’s birthday on the town with the family.

Whether a frozen yogurt store would be your first business or one of many, you understand the importance of standing out of the crowd. Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt has done the work to differentiate itself to perspective owners and consumers alike. Perspective owners benefit by saving on initial investment and the added value for long-term profitability. Consumers enjoy doing business with a company that features a great product and outstanding neighborhood-based values.

Start  a  conversation  with  your  local  neighborhood  owner  Joseph Verbeke, Regional Developer and Franchise Owner

Email: j.verbeke@zoyogurt.com Phone: 313.731.2573

Stay  connected  about  the  growth  of  Zoyo  in  Michigan  Newsletter • Facebook

Learn  more  at  your  own  pace.  Visit www.zoyogurt.com/franchising

Joseph and Emily Verbeke Regional Developers for Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt