Self-Service vs. Full Service

Frozen Yogurt Stores

The first frozen yogurt stores that were founded several years ago offered customers the full service frozen yogurt experience. This business model mirrored that of ice cream stores such as Marble Slab Creamery and Cold Stone Creamery. Customers walk in, choose a menu item, and have the personnel behind the counter create their frozen yogurt treat just as described on the menu. The customer would then pay the at price that was listed on the menu for their frozen treat. Now, however, the self-service frozen yogurt business model has taken over the frozen yogurt industry with stores popping up all over the country.

Why has self-serve frozen yogurt become so popular in the last few years you may ask? Well, it is all about the customization, the experience, the price, and so much more! Self-serve frozen yogurt stores allow customers to walk in, sample as many flavors as they choose, and create their very own frozen yogurt masterpiece that can be comprised of just one single flavor or multiple flavors, all in the same cup. Not to mention, all of the different combinations of toppings that can be added as well. And, the price tends to be more attractive to customers too. With self- serve, each frozen yogurt cup is weighed and charged by the ounce, making it more appealing to customers because they can better control how much money they are spending.

Now, if you are still asking yourself which type of business model would work best for you, take a look at the list that we have provided on the next page that includes the advantages and disadvantages of both the full service and self-service concepts.

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Pros:

Popularity. The popularity of self-serve frozen yogurt is at the core of today’s frozen yogurt success. Frozen Yogurt has become so popular that pretty much anyone and everyone is familiar with both the product and the concept. Variety. In general, this concept is able to o er more flavors and toppings to customers. This is important because it will attract and convert previous full service ice cream shop consumers into devout frozen yogurt swirler. Control. The moment a customer grabs a cup, they have the freedom to control their portion size, their flavor combinations and their topping variations. This concept empowers the customer because they are left to make their own decisions based on their health and financial needs. Fun. Grab a cup and ll it up! This experience is fun and interactive for both children and adults. You will rarely ever see a frozen yogurt customer with a frown on their face. Food Cost Analysis. Since customers pay by the ounce and all frozen yogurt mix and toppings are labeled by weight, you can calculate your food costs precisely for each and every item. Simplicity. As a store owner, the self-serve concept is easy to operate and maintain since it requires fewer employees and less food preparation. Fewer employees are required because the customers are creating their own yogurt cups rather than the employees making them, and the food prep only requires the cutting of fruit, refilling of topping containers and pouring yogurt mix into the hoppers of the machines.

Cons:

Cleaning. On average, the typical self-serve store has six to eight machines. Having more machines requires more machine cleaning, and you must clean the machines regularly in order to maintain the product’s high quality. It is recommended to clean each machine twice per week; however, local health regulations will tell you exactly how many times it needs to be done. Equipment Costs. Compared to full service, self-serve typically requires more soft serve machines in order to provide a wider variety of flavors for your customers.

Pros:

Portion Control. In a full service model, a more traditional pricing method applies (small, medium, large, etc). Since employees prepare and serve the yogurt and toppings, the portion size of yogurt and toppings can be better controlled. Also, there is typically less waste when employees are preparing the menu items because they are more familiar with how to use the machines and scoop the toppings. Smaller Space Requirements. In general, full service concepts require less space than self-serve establishments. This is mainly attributed to fewer yogurt machines and needing less space for customer tra c ow within the store. Wider Menu Variety. Because menu items are sold at a set price, it is easier to o er additional menu items such as banana splits, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, etc. Uniformity in Product. Trained employees creating all of the menu items leads to more consistency and uniformity with every product being sold. You will be guaranteed to have perfect swirls walking out your doors if you have trained and seasoned employees creating everyone’s frozen yogurt concoctions.

Cons:

Diminished Variety. Typically, full service concepts o er four to six flavors (2-3 machines) and a limited selection of toppings. Most full service frozen yogurt stores o er standard flavors such Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry, along with 1-2 additional flavors that rotate. This model gives customers the original flavors that they know and love; however, the decreased variety compared to the self- service model is typically not as well received by consumers. Decreased Customer Involvement. Since the yogurt is fully prepared by an employee behind the counter, the customer’s interactive experience is minimized. Declination in Popularity. With the rise of self-serve stores, full service concepts have decreased in popularity. Less often will you stumble across a full service frozen yogurt store because of the fact that self-serve has become the new standard in the frozen yogurt industry. More Staff . While the startup costs of the full service model may be less than that of the self-serve model (Due to smaller build out costs and fewer machines), there is a need to schedule more employees per shift to ensure that customer orders can be fulfilled in a timely manner.