DessertsFast FoodMusic/Events/Other

Even Little Richard Wouldn’t Believe This One

Posted on March 1st, 2011 · Desserts Fast Food Music/Events/Other

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***** Even Little Richard Wouldn’t believe This One *****

Regular Jeff Eats’s readers know, that I am not a fan of the “self serve” yogurt business.

From what I can see, like the “mom & pop” video stores that once dotted America’s landscape, the yogurt business model is a “bubble” that will soon burst. Trust me on this, we don’t need a yogurt store on every corner. For a “few bucks” anyone can get into this business—just like the video stores were 25-30 years ago. That’s the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry, is opening one of these joints.

Now for the “craziest” story in this yogurt-industry—TUTTI FRUTTI FROZEN YOGURT. As a point a reference check Jeff Eats’ Tutti writeup on November 29, 2010…small chain, currently in 16 states, handful of stores in South Florida.

Let’s make this simple…The business model of this Tutti Frutti, allows the individual store owner to sell whatever type of yogurt that he or she wants. So…that means, that store A or store B or for that matter store Q may-be selling totally different yogurt products. So…that means, if you like the chocolate in store B, you may not like the chocolate in store Q.

The way I see it, the “purpose” of a BRAND is CONSISTENCY. A Whopper in a Miami Burger King is suppose to taste exactly like a Whopper in a Houston Burger King.

Check out Tutti Frutti’s website www.tfyogurt.com—unless, I’m not reading right, essentially all that the “stores” are buying, is the “same” name. Gonna be a big mess with this one, guaranteed!!

In the end, there is going to be a bloodbath in the self-serve yogurt indutry. For sure, there will be a handful of survivors, but there are going to be tons of unhappy players who thought they found a goldmine to open.

15 Comments to “Even Little Richard Wouldn’t Believe This One”

  1. ya says...

    how does that make any sense? why bother with a franchise then? tried tutti frutti regency did not like at all. there are way too many of these yogurt places and you can see the satuartion already when you visit these places. they’re all nowhere near as busy as they used to be and they’re all going into very high rent locations as well.

  2. Lenny D. says...

    Jeff, you are so right. Anyone can get into this business for about $100,000 investment. They are opening stores like wildfire.
    Another thing I noticed, is that unlike Dunkin Donuts and Subway and other successful ones, many of these places don’t have working owners. They have investors backing the businesses. These type of stores are “to make a living” not for investment. If you have to pay a manager to do the work instead of you the owner doing the work, you are paying out your “profit” to someone else instead of paying yourself a salary.
    This yogurt business is going to end badly.

  3. Arnie D. says...

    Somebody better teach Tutti Frutti store owners what BRAND NAME is all about.
    They got a disatser coming.

    • bosco says...

      if what u say is so about the stores carrying different product, then this tutti frutti thing will soon die.

  4. Yq says...

    Jeff dont waste your time on 16 handles. Worst of them all

  5. hank says...

    To The Boca Raton Owner:
    Was in your store around 9:30 pm this evening. That’s the one in Regent Court.
    The store had a bunch of kids hanging out. There was an infant maybe 1 year old walking barefooted around the store and maybe 1-2 real customers.
    You are going to lose your shirt here.
    Very unprofessional operation.

  6. EARL says...

    Store in Boca Regency is very poorly run.

  7. Jo Jo says...

    Jeff:
    A franchise means that all locations are the SAME. Tutti Frutti sounds ridiculous. Betcha anything this chain fails.

  8. chewy says...

    went to boca store on yamato. it’s run like a crap hole. definitely going to fail with absentee owner.

  9. steve n says...

    This boca store is now doing very heavy couponing. Business is going to fail, Too many competitors.

  10. RFD says...

    I live right near Boca store.
    Never see anyone in there.

  11. RRW says...

    Tried the mango sorbet. Very refreshing.

    • DopeJohn says...

      I got to agree with you, that Mango sorbet is delicious. I live in Boca and get it at that Yamato Rd store.

  12. ROR says...

    Watermelon and lemonade sorbet are delicious. A drop on the expensive side.

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