Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt Franchise brings smiles to guests and franchisees alike

There probably aren’t many frozen yogurt franchises that can boast a classically trained Le Cordon Bleu chef among its franchisees. Menchie’s can, thanks to franchise owner Sadie Whitley in Tacoma, Wash.

A Menchie’s owner since early 2013, Sadie, 47, is no stranger to career changes. She was a nurse, a health care manager, a personal chef and a caterer before she began serving up smiles at her first Menchie’s franchise in the James Center Plaza in Tacoma. The Los Angeles native enjoys mentoring others, and so far that’s been a good fit with her frozen yogurt franchise.

“My personality fits with their style, and I seem to be better under stress. I come from working in the hospital, so I’m used to something always going on,” Sadie says.

After retiring from her health care management position five years ago, Sadie went to Le Cordon Bleu “for fun.” She learned the ins and outs of classic cuisine, including culinary training in Italy and Mexico, and eventually returned home to Washington to open her own catering business. She and her husband decided they wanted to explore the food service industry further; that’s when they came across Menchie’s.

With her catering business, Sadie found she really enjoyed hiring and mentoring people, two skills that come in handy now that she has her own franchise. She loved the culture and the Menchie’s mission of serving up smiles. She also loves the focus on the food sourcing for Menchie’s proprietary collection of frozen yogurt, which is made from the milk of “smiley” California cows, which are never treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST).

“It’s the whole family environment,” she says. “It’s so friendly and fun, and I like the fact that they have a relationship with the farmers. Being that I studied in culinary school, I’m very conscious of where the food comes from. All of the other places we were looking at didn’t have a relationship with farmers. [Menchie’s] set several bars higher than everybody else.”

It’s a great feeling to know the exact source of the milk that serves as the basis for Menchie’s menu of 100 rotating flavors of premium frozen yogurt and more than 70 toppings. The quality at Menchie’s draws people in; the smiles keep them coming back. The smiles are pretty great for a franchisee, too.

“I’ve taken little pieces from the last two careers and blended it here at Menchie’s,” says Sadie. “It’s changed my life — I’m much happier. I’m not the stressful lady who walked around wondering when the end of the day will come or when the weekend will get here. I don’t do that anymore.”

Instead, she’s getting involved in her community as a Menchie’s franchise owner. Sadie has partnered with a bowling alley and skating rink across the street to expand the party space at her location. All three of the businesses have benefitted from the relationship. “When I think of growth, I think of it in the community. I love reaching out to people, and there are a lot of opportunities for that.”

Sadie has really enjoyed the support she receives from Menchie’s in helping her become a success, and she’s already looking forward to opening a second location.

“I know that at Menchie’s, I’m a part of a big family and that I can count on someone at headquarters any day of the week — I know I’m not alone,” she says. “I have a really good attitude and I see more positives than negatives, and I always have a smile on my face. I pass our mission statement on.

“We make you smile. People like to be acknowledged, and seeing people leave with smiles makes such a difference,” says Sadie. “Everyone is happy. It’s a happy environment, from open to close.”

If you’d like to join the happy Menchie’s family of franchisees, fill out this form to request more information or give us a call at 818-708-0316. You can also learn more about Menchie’s at www.menchiesfranchise.com. We look forward to hearing from you!