407 South B St
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 548-1381
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m.

After my Japanese lunch in San Mateo, I quickly dashed over to B Street in San Mateo. Yogurtouille has arrived to introduce frozen yogurt with a wide range of delightful flavors.
Read Pinkberry blog for a background of the frozen yogurt craze.

Two different business formulas, both great tasting.

Pinkberry: (staff serve) + (choice of 3 flavors) + (toppings) = fro yo paradise
Yogurtouille: (self serve) + (multiple choice of tart/classic) + (toppings) = fro yo paradise

Ambiance. Similar to most frozen yogurt place owned by Asian entrepreneurs, features orange colored walls and minimalist decor. The operation is clean and service is friendly.

Food.
Pinkberry is the leader in the frozen yogurt chase. Having tasted a few others in the Bay Area, Yogurtouille serves frozen yogurt that is creamy in taste with a solid full bodied richness and clean after taste. Like any great singer, range is important. Yogurtouille differentiates itself by providing different flavors on the flavor wheel from tart (original, manger) to more classic flavors such as chocolate and vanilla. Strawberry and lychee are also available.

Consultant hat.
I got a chance to interview Wayne, Yogurtouille owner. After attending MBA school, he decided to venture into entrepreneurship. He explains that his competitive advantage is providing flavors that appeal to a wide audience. He said that some customers do not enjoy tart flavors such as lychee so they can choose chocalate. At $.35 an ounce, customers have control of the portion size. But be warned, the pressurized yogurt machines squirt out rapidly.

Originally from Irvine, California, where frozen yogurt has opened in flocks, he hopes to bring this concept to the Bay Area. As a food writer, I enjoy meeting the faces behind the business. I also liked that Wayne put up the nutritional facts on the wall.

His wife asked me about the franchising process. I advised her to hire a seasoned franchise lawyer and consider the pros and cons of franchising versus licensing. Franchising concept allows the franchisor (selling franchise) to collect monthly royalty frees from the franchisee (owning franchise). On the other hand, the license concept does not involve royalty fees. Instead, the licensee collects an upfront fee from the potential licensor for the use of recipe, concept, and idea. Most people choose to license their concept so that they do not have to deal with the legal fees involved in converting into a legal franchise. Estimated cost can range from $35,000 and above in fees. Again, this is a case by case scenario.