Get the spoons ready, Charlotte.
TCBY, a national frozen yogurt chain with locations scattered throughout the Charlotte area, is gearing up to open a new location on Piedmont Row Drive off Fairview Road. The new location, which opens Saturday, June 8, will celebrate it’s opening by giving a free cup of the frozen yogurt to guests all day and a TCBY gift card to the first 100 guests to attend the opening.
Sam Batt, TCBY franchisee operating this new location and over a dozen others in the North and South Carolina, says the location is perfect based on the surrounding businesses and the TCBY health-conscious outlook.
“We thought South Park would be a fantastic market for us. The shopping center, just in terms of the aesthetics, it’s close to the YMCA too,” said Batt. “And being there is in line with our healthy outlook. It seemed like a really great fit for us.”
TCBY works to set themselves apart from other frozen yogurt chains through their recipes and the corporate attitude.
“About 85 percent of our competition uses a generic form of yogurt from a dairy. We have our own formula and people who make it for us. It’s really kind of cool. That’s where we can control the nutritional,” said Brian Mooney, TCBY regional director of operations for the East.
The company is also encouraging all new franchisees to open stores using the self-serve model. Batt was the first TCBY owner to open a self serve TCBY, and his first location was also the first frozen yogurt store in North Carolina using the self-serve model.
“I think it’s absolutely the best direction to go. It’s offering customers the opportunity to get whatever they want,” said Batt. “They took a big risking, putting a 30 year old brand in my hands to open the first self-serve store, but it definitely paid off.”
Tweet @Niner_Times using the hashtag #PiedmontRowTCBY to tell us if you plan to go out and get free froyo Saturday.
TCBY employs a food scientist to ensure that all their flavors are top notch and healthy. Photo courtesy of the TCBY official Facebook page.