A California frozen yogurt chain is sweetening up Annapolis with its first East Coast location. Menchie's Frozen Yogurt will open early April at Annapolis Towne Centre, next to Target and Arhaus Furniture Co.
The growing Encino-based company currently has about 30 locations and is planning numerous new stores in Ohio, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania. Chains like Pinkberry and RedMango have expanded nationally in recent years, but the FroYo craze has largely left the Greater Baltimore region in the cold.
Menchie's co-owner Mary Carney says she chose the Annapolis Towne Centre location because she expects to get good foot traffic from the neighboring anchor tenants, Target and Arhaus. She also hopes that restaurants in the outdoor mall like Gordon Biersch Brewery and P.F. Chang's will pull diners craving dessert after their meal.
Located at 2505 Riva Rd., Annapolis Towne Centre is a $500 million retail, office and residential complex that includes a Main Street-style town center. Its other stores include Whole Foods Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Brio Tuscan Grill and Real Seafood Co.
"It's an upbeat place," Carney says of the outdoor mall.
She declined to say how much she is spending to open the store. But the average Menchie franchisee spends between $340,000 and $400,000 on real estate, equipment, and franchise fee.
Menchie's will feature 14 frozen yogurt flavors and 50 toppings customers can add to the mix -- not unlike the concept behind ice cream franchise Cold Stone Creamery except that it is self serve. Patrons pay by the weight and can choose from low-carb, sugar-free and dairy-free options.
Source: Mary Carney, Menchie's
Writer: Julekha Dash