TCBY said it is launching the test of breakfast and lunch “meal replacement” bowls, parfaits and smoothies made from non-frozen “fresh” yogurt in conventional units.
Officials of the frozen-yogurt treats chain said the new products will be introduced Friday at two self-service company stores in its headquarters of Salt Lake City.
The test involved TCBY’s proprietary, non-frozen, low-fat Yovana-Simply Yogurt product in fresh-fruit parfaits and smoothies.
The products had been made available earlier at two airport locations of sister concept, Yovana Yogurt Café, licensed to HMSHost.
TCBY officials, in announcing the new test, cited “remarkable growth” in sales of non-frozen refrigerated yogurts offered primarily in grocery stores, which now claim an 86-percent share of the entire yogurt market that includes frozen products.
“The great thing about refrigerated yogurt is that we are seeing it [consumed] across multiple demographics,” said Timothy Casey, chief executive of Mrs. Fields Famous Brands, parent of TCBY and the Mrs. Fields Original Cookies chain. “The advantage we see over grocery is that we can deliver theatre, particularly in our new self-serve stores. We can make it an experience inside our four walls and we can close the educational divide that currently exists.”
Interest in the potential health benefits of fresh yogurt, even if not fully understood, are translating into high adult consumption in general, according to TCBY officials. The company said research shows that 52 percent of adults, 54 percent of children aged six to 11 years old, and 59 percent of teens consume such products.
Word that TCBY — with about 441 U.S. locations and 181 international stores — will begin offering its proprietary Yovana-Simply Yogurt non-frozen product in the morning comes amid a rush among fast-food and counter-service chains to enter the breakfast daypart or expand existing menus.
It also follows the August announcement by 50-unit frozen-yogurt specialist Tasti D-Lite of Franklin, Tenn., that it has begun to roll out such breakfast items as parfaits, fresh-baked goods and hot granola, as well as a line of hot beverages, including coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
Asked if TCBY also would introduce coffee or tea or other traditional breakfast beverages at the test stores, Casey replied, “We will let the customer decide what products we offer.”
He declined to reveal the price points for the fresh yogurt products or indicate how many TCBY locations were now open for breakfast. “All of our franchisees have the flexibility to open and close based on their customer’s needs,” he said.
The parfaits are suited for grab-and-go applications, Casey indicated.
TCBY will continue to franchise or license Yovana as a freestanding concept, but, simultaneously, depending on test results, will offer Yovana's signature product to TCBY branded stores looking to expand their menu and business dayparts.
“When we first launched this brand, Yovana was perhaps ahead of its time, and so it was very important that we grew the brand correctly and slowly to ensure its success.” Casey said. “We are now testing the Yovana product in our TCBY self-serve locations with future plans to launch it in our traditional stores.”
Casey said the chain believes the Yovana product is a “great fit” with its traditional TCBY locations because it provides yet another opportunity for the brand to showcase its expertise in all things yogurt — frozen soft-serve and hard pack, and now refrigerated.
Despite limited marketing exposure, to date, “consumer affinity for Yovana is extremely high,” he added.
Contact Alan J. Liddle at [email protected]
