FEATURE ARTICLE, AUGUST 2009

PINKBERRY TAKES ON TEXAS
The popular California-based frozen yogurt company plans to expand nationally and internationally, starting in Texas.
Patty Vaughan

The interior of a Pinkberry store.

Originally started in West Hollywood, California, in January  2005, Pinkberry currently has a total of 73 stores in the Southern California and Manhattan markets, and the frozen yogurt company doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. The company recently opened its first store in Northern California, and with a new franchising agreement with Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corporation, Pinkberry plans to start expanding out of New York and California for the first time. The company’s first stop for expansion is going to be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

“For us to come to Texas is exciting because there’s a lot of demand,” says Ron Graves, CEO of Pinkberry. “We’re just excited to expand outside of our initial markets to other parts of the country. I think we’re going to get a great market and we have a great product, great team and a great partner. We’re excited to open our first store.”

The completion date of the new Pinkberry in Texas has not yet been released.

Along with moving into Texas, Pinkberry is discussing expanding to other cities nationwide as well as worldwide. In order for expansion to happen, however, two basic things need to occur: the right geography and the right franchising partner. “When those two things come together we move forward,” Graves adds.

“Our bar is very high of who we will partner with because we have an amazing brand, product and experience and so we’re very methodical about who we partner with,” Graves notes. “We look for people who have like-minded values and really understand the kind of customer experience we’re trying to create.”

For example, Pinkberry recently disclosed that it has signed an expansion agreement with the M.H. Alshaya Company, which represents more than 40 brands for stores in the Middle East. Graves adds, “We think that part of the world is going to be good for frozen yogurt.”

According to Graves, there are three aspects that Pinkberry truly tries to integrate into every store location: the product, the design and the people.

Pinkberry parfait

Pinkberry has created a product like no other because of the unique fruits and blends that make each yogurt. “Our product is of extremely high quality because it’s a nice balance between the tart yogurt and the actual flavors. It’s very light and refreshing to the point that people crave it,” says Graves.

And when it comes to the design of the Pinkberry locations, one of the founders was a trained architect. There is an immense amount of detail that goes into each design when a location is planned. Each store has a pastel palette and pebble floors to give the building a beach atmosphere. The stores also have Le Klint-inspired hanging lamps and Alessi kitchen gadgets that decorate the walls.

But high-product and innovative store design would be nothing without great people behind the counter. “It’s really the people. We really take pride in terms of the type of customer service and customer experience that our team members in the store are focused on,” notes Graves.

Pinkberry is a highly innovative company that adds variety by including seasonal flavors and toppings, launching new flavors and bringing in seasonal exotic fruit. The company has recently launched two new flavors, coconut and passionfruit, and has also introduced a fruit parfait. Pinkberry also provides delivery for businesses, offices and parties.

“There’s a lot of demand for Pinkberry,” Graves adds. “We won’t just grow for growth’s sake. We’re going to grow one partner at a time, one store at a time and one customer at a time.”

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