TCBY

TCBY

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Chain restaurant/Franchise
Founded	1981 (1981) in Little Rock, Arkansas
Headquarters	Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Number of locations	More than 470[1]
Area served	Americas, Eastern Asia and Middle East
Key people	Dustin Lyman CEO
Products	Frozen Yogurt
Parent	Mrs. Fields
Website	tcby.com

Logo previously used by TCBY.

TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt, formerly This Can't Be Yogurt) is a U.S.-based chain of frozen yogurt stores. It is one of the largest U.S. retailers of soft-serve frozen yogurt.^[2]

History

The first TCBY store was opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, by Frank D. Hickingbotham in 1981. TCBY began franchising the following year, and by 1984 there were over 100 stores.

Prior to 1984, the company's name was "This Can't Be Yogurt," but a lawsuit from a competitor named "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt!" forced TCBY to create a new name from its initials, eventually using "The Country's Best Yogurt".^[3][4] TCBY began co-branding with Taco Bell, McDonald's, Subway, and Burger King in 1995.^[5]

Mrs. Fields acquired TCBY in early 2000 and became Mrs. Fields Famous Brands.^[6]

In the summer of 2010, the company opened a prototype store in Salt Lake City, Utah, operating under a different business model. Instead of customers ordering and being served in a traditional fashion, they serve themselves using any combination of available yogurt flavors, add their own mix of fruit or candy toppings, and pay by the ounce. In late 2011, TCBY opened its first outlet in Pakistan.

In 2001, there were 1,777 TCBY locations across the country. By 2011, there were just 405. 

> Pct. of stores closed: 77.2% > Total stores: 405 > Stores closed: 1,372 > 2011 sales: $98 million > Pct. decline in sales: -60.4% ^[7]

Products and promotions

TCBY offers frozen yogurt in a variety of flavors. The chain typically serves hard scooped and soft serve yogurt, while newer concept stores only offer soft serve. The new concept stores follow a self-service model, with customers being charged by weight.^[8] Soft serve yogurt comes in Golden Vanilla, Chocolate, and White Chocolate Mousse flavors which are available daily, in addition to various rotating flavors. TCBY also serves drinks such as Berriyo yogurt smoothies and Frappe Chillers.

In September 2010, TCBY announced the test launch of breakfast and lunch meal replacement bowls, parfaits and smoothies made from non-frozen "fresh" yogurt called Yovana-Simply Yogurt in two self-service company stores in its headquarters of Salt Lake City.^[9]

In May 2011, TCBY launched Super Fro-Yo, a reformulated version of its yogurt with a more nutrient-rich profile. The company brought down the fat content of its yogurt to below 2 percent, so it can be labeled low fat. On January 10, 2012, TCBY launched a Greek frozen yogurt product.^[10] TCBY is the first frozen yogurt chain to offer Greek frozen yogurt.^[11]

Every year, TCBY offers mothers across the nation a free frozen yogurt on Mother's Day,^[12] and fathers a free frozen yogurt on Father's Day.^[13]

Store giveaway

In October 2009, TCBY launched the "This Could Be Yours: The Great TCBY Store Giveaway," a contest that rewarded one person with his or her own TCBY store. To enter, contestants submitted a video, no longer than two minutes, explaining why they should be the recipient of their very own TCBY, why their town is the perfect location, and what they have to offer the brand. Submissions were judged on creativity, a sense of business acumen and originality. Originally, videos were accepted until November 30, 2009,^[14] but the deadline was extended until March 31, 2010.^[15] On May 26, 2010, it was announced that the winners of the contest were Jared and Sarah Greer of Fayetteville, Ark.^[16] The Greers opened their store in April 2011 in Rogers, Ark. with TCBY's new self-serve prototype and store design.^[17]

See also

• List of frozen yogurt companies
• List of frozen dessert brands

References

External links

• Official website
• TCBY Franchises