Most locals have come to love the rows of dispensers and toppings at
Yogurtini, the self-serve frozen yogurt concept with locations in Tempe,
Scottsdale and Phoenix. But what truly
makes
the business stand out from its fro-yo fellows are the young entrepreneurs
behind the fast-growing franchise.
Sisters Chelsey and Natasha Nelson lived in California when their mom was
diagnosed with a degenerative terminal illness. They realized their biggest
priority was being with her in Arizona, so they decided to move back home.
In the Golden State, the sisters had developed an addiction to frozen
yogurt. They quickly noticed Arizona lacked what they craved — frozen yogurt
shops had not yet sprouted up like weeds in Phoenix neighborhoods.
“There were never the right flavors or toppings,” Chelsey says. “And even
when there were toppings we wanted, they were pre-portioned by whoever was
serving the yogurt.”
Chelsey graduated from ASU’s Barrett, the Honors College, in 2007 with a
degree in economics. Natasha graduated from California’s Vanguard University
in 1998 with a degree in business marketing.
They had the knowledge and resources to come up with a business plan and
open their first store in May 2010.
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“Natasha and I have always been very business-minded through setting up
lemonade stands, our own personal libraries and office supply stores in our
front yard since we were little girls,” Chelsey says. “I think we always
knew we would end up going into business together someday.”
Chelsey and Natasha acted on a whim, but their success is apparent in the
loyal following they’ve received after less than a year in business.
“Initially, we took out a personal loan to set up our shop in Tempe,”
Chelsey says. “After our Tempe store was so successful, we started receiving
a lot of attention. A lot of customers were asking how they could open their
own Yogurtinis.”
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Although the
prosperity of the store is a huge achievement, their original vision was to
create an atmosphere that offered exceptional yogurt and freedom for
customers to create what
they preferred
.
“I think our store is fun and we are creating an experience.” Natasha says.
“We are a little more sophisticated than some of the others, it is evident
when you walk-in. But it is kid friendly too … we serve Fruit Loops and Pop
Rocks. We have 16 flavors always rotating and over 75 toppings – including
Sriracha hot sauce.”
Originality has played a vital role in Yogurtini’s continual growth and the
two expect to see a lot more from the company within the next year.
“We have a national goal and are working with the right team to make it
happen,” Natasha says. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see 50 to 100 Yogurtini’s
in 12 to 16 months.”
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