Bob and Kathy Elmer celebrate success in Austin with grand opening of their new Menchie’s frozen yogurt franchise

On the heels of opening their first Menchie’s location, Bob and Kathy Elmer of Austin, TX, just celebrated the grand opening of their second Menchie’s in the Lakeland Market Shopping Center in Austin.

The former advertising executive and his wife, a stay-at-home mom for their two children, knew they wanted to open a frozen yogurt franchise but had never heard of Menchie’s before because it wasn’t in the Austin area. Their Steiner Ranch, TX, location, which they opened in 2013, was the first. Now with their second location under their belt, the Elmers plan to open two more locations in the area.

In an interview with the Four Points News in Steiner Ranch, Bob told the newspaper, “Because there weren’t any in Austin, we weren’t familiar with Menchie’s. But when we started doing the research and visiting the different companies, it became apparent pretty quickly that Menchie’s had a much bigger vision for where they could take the company and what they stood for. The thing that struck me is that the mission of Menchie’s is to make people smile.”

The Elmers, who worked with Bob’s father, Gus Elmer, to get into the frozen yogurt franchise business, were drawn to our brand’s clear vision and our mission of making people smile.

“After meeting the Menchie’s team and going out to their Headquarters, we felt they had a much clearer vision of who they wanted to be and who they were,” Bob said in an interview last year. “Their brand perspective and identity focus of who their main consumers were — families and kids — and their execution to reach that target audience was much stronger than any other franchises we talked to. The quality of their product is superior, as well.”

Menchie’s creates unique experiences for guests. Everyone who walks into our signature pink-and-green locations is welcomed with a smile and encouraged to try as many of the frozen yogurt flavors as they wish before they make their final selection. There’s no asking for sample cups — they’re out on the counter and ready to use. Franchisees like the Elmers rotate up to 14 of the Menchie’s Private Label Collection 100-plus options of frozen yogurt, all made from the milk of “smiley” California cows from a Southern California family-owned dairy. They also offer guests as many as 50 of our 70 delicious fruit, candy and cookie toppings.

Sometimes, a simple mix is best — and sometimes, a simple business model that’s easy to scale, like a Menchie’s frozen yogurt franchise, is also best.

Menchie’s frozen yogurt comes in varieties for every palate and multiple diet: kosher, nonfat, no sugar added, low carb, dairy-free and gluten-free. Our franchisees get very involved in their communities, sponsoring sports teams and participating in local events whenever they can. Ours is a business that values genuine connections and building relationships with our guests.

“I tell people that we make people smile every day, and that’s not a bad way to spend your days,” Bob told the newspaper. “I’m more proud of what we’ve done at these two stores than anything I’ve ever done in my career.”

Learn more about Menchie’s frozen yogurt franchise

If you’d like to join the Menchie’s family of franchisees, fill out this form to request more information about owning your own franchise, or give us a call at 818-708-0316. You can also learn more about Menchie’s at the research section of our website. We look forward to hearing from you!