Tag Archivesnatasha nelson

Food Network Lists Yogurt as a Stress Reliever

Posted by Yogurtini on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

 

 

According to the Food Network, you can eat your way to a more relaxed state — and no, we don’t mean pigging out on high-calorie junk food. While there isn’t a cure-all food to magically erase frustration, you can get some stress relief with a combo of exercising, eating small meals throughout the day and getting more of these 10 fresh goodies. You can get an an amazing three out of ten at Yogurtini Self-Serve- nuts, yogurt and chocolate!

 

1. Whole-Wheat Pretzels
Eating carbohydrate-rich foods gives you an energy boost and triggers the brain to release a feel-good chemical called serotonin. Opting for a whole-grain snack (cereals, pretzels, bread, crackers, etc.) provides extra fiber, too.

2. Carrots
Munching on crunchy foods also helps beat stress. Nutrient-rich carrots, celery and other crunchy, fresh veggies offer satisfying crispness but won’t bog you down with too many calories.

3. Tea
Calm frazzled nerves with a steaming cup of your favorite tea blend. The soothing warmth and tea’s plant compounds work together to level off your body’s response to stress. Both herbal and black tea can help.

4. Nuts
Stress runs you down, which leaves you open to sickness. Almonds, pistachios and walnuts are high in the antioxidant vitamin E and zinc — both good for boosting your immune system. Bonus: Those nuts are good sources of B-vitamins, which help the body manage stress, too. Since nuts are high in (healthy) fat, stick to a 1/4-cup portions.

5. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard and other leafy veggies like spinach are full of magnesium (a single cup covers 40% of your daily need); getting more magnesium can help control and limit your body’s release of the stress-spiking hormone cortisol. Science stuff aside, wilted greens are a delicious addition to soups, pasta and rice dishes or taste great just sautéed with olive oil and garlic.

6. Yogurt
Work more calcium into your diet with non-fat or low-fat yogurt — a sprinkle of nuts and some fresh fruit will turn it into an ultra-satisfying snack. The good-for-you part: Yogurt contains probiotics that help create a healthy and calm digestive system.

7. Chocolate
Chocolate lovers know that just a taste can cure all that ails them and there’s science to back it up. Research indicates that dark chocolate may lower levels of stress hormones. Chocolate also contains sugar (a carbohydrate), so it releases mood-improving serotonin. It’s alright to indulge; just keep the portions in check — shoot for one-ounce servings.

Read more about the health benefits of chocolate.

8. Milk
Have a glass to get more B-vitamins, protein, vitamin D and bone-building calcium to relieve tense muscles. Stick to the low-fat (1%) or skim varieties. If you prefer it with more flavor, have some with whole-grain cereal in the morning or sip on some chocolate milk around bedtime to bring on more restful sleep.

9. Banana and Avocado
That’s two things, we know, but what do these fruits have in common? They’re loaded with potassium, a vital mineral for keeping blood pressure low. Add sliced banana to your morning oatmeal or a half-cup of sliced avocado to a lunchtime salad or sandwich. That will cover your potassium needs for the day.

10. Fatty Fish
The heart-healthy omega-3 fats in fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna manage adrenaline levels to help keep you calm, cool and collected. They’re also good for just about every part of your body, including the eyes, skin and hair.

About Yogurtini, and YHI, Inc ®:

Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha Nelson and Chelsey Nelson, Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association.  The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the press in its native Arizona, where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” in 944 Magazine and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. The accelerated growth of the franchise has been recognized by the national press including Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine. Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses.

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program. http://www.facebook.com/yogurtini or follow us on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/yogurtini. For more information on Yogurtini® visitwww.yogurtini.com. YHI, Inc is the franchise development company for Yogurtini. To learn more about being awarded a Yogurtini franchise visit  www.yogurtini.com/franchise . Yogurtini is now offering frozen yogurt franchise area development agreements. Additional Yogurtini franchises are currently under construction and development in Florida, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Kansas, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Missouri.

Great article on how to choose a successful franchise – have you considered a frozen yogurt franchise?

Posted by Yogurtini on Monday, September 19, 2011
The Franchise Hound

The Franchise Hound

 

As the co-founder and President of the self serve frozen yogurt Yogurtini self-serve franchise I am always researching what the experts think makes a franchise successful. I found this article on The Franchise Hound. They quote the Small Business Administration, ” only 5% of new franchise businesses fail, as opposed to 30% of non-franchise businesses.” Although the odds of going with a proven franchise system seems to be better they outline four areas why some franchises succeed and some do not.I not only found it very interesting but it reassured me that the Yogurtini franchise team is on the right track. I posted the article below but you can also read it here. – Let me know what you think?- Natasha Nelson

 

4 Elements of a Successful Franchise

Offering everything from sandwiches to tire repair to consumers, franchises play a huge role in how business gets done in the 21st century. And it’s easy to see why: they work. According to the Small Business Administration, only 5% of new franchise businesses fail, as opposed to 30% of non-franchise businesses.

Franchising, however, is not a sure thing; there are reasons why some succeed and some do not.

The Idea

The most important element behind franchise success is the idea.

The idea has to be unique, creative, and something that the market needs and wants, both now and in the future. It need not be an entirely new idea, but it needs to have enough new elements to make it fresh, interesting, and marketable – a twist, a different angle, something that hasn’t been done exactly that way before. A good idea also avoids one common trap in the franchise world: over-saturation of a market. By definition, a good idea puts a franchise business ahead of its competition.

The System

A franchise needs to have a workable and easily-replicated system. The reason McDonald’s has been successful is that the menu is simple, the production process makes sense, and each individual restaurant can be run by a manager with minimal training. A franchise’s system includes effective leadership in the parent company, since good leadership affects how the whole business runs.

Advertising and Marketing

One of the benefits of franchising for individual franchise owners is the advertising provided on a national or international level. Because of this advertising and marketing, consumers recognize the brand, understand what it offers, and know what they can expect. The individual franchises can then piggy-back on this brand recognition and build on it with advertising in their own local or regional markets. Brands that don’t offer good marketing on a national level, however, make it difficult for individual franchises to succeed.

Ongoing Communication, Training and Support

There must be a sense, in a franchise system, that everyone’s in it together. This means regular communication between the parent company and the individual franchise owners; training in new systems, methods, materials, and products; and support for franchise owners, operators, and managers.

For a franchise to succeed it needs a good idea, a strong and easily-replicated system, creative marketing, and communication and support. With these four elements, a franchise might not have guaranteed success, but it has a good shot at surviving, thriving, and growing into the future.

 

If you want to learn more about our self-serve frozen yogurt franchise opportunity click here.

 

About Yogurtini ®, and YHI, Inc:

Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha Nelson and Chelsey Nelson, Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association. The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the press in its native Arizona, where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” in 944 Magazine and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business and numerous other national press outlets have covered the popularity of Yogurtini.

Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses. For media inquiries please contact Orange County Public Relations agency,www.nnpublicrelations.com

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program including www.facebook.com . Or follow us on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/yogurtini .For more information on Yogurtini® visitwww.yogurtini.com.

YHI, Inc is the franchise development company for Yogurtini, one of the fastest growing self-serve frozen yogurt franchises in the segment. To learn more about being awarded a Yogurtini franchise visit www.yogurtini.com/franchise . Additional Yogurtini franchises are currently under construction and development in Florida, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri and Virginia.

Yogurtini Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Franchise Featured in the Wall Street Journal

Posted by Yogurtini on Friday, August 26, 2011

Yogurtini is making the news again, this time in the Wall Street Journal!

Yogurt Chains Give Power to the People

By JAIME LEVY PESSIN

A growing number of frozen-yogurt chains are trying a new strategy to keep business hot in a cool economy: do it yourself.

Some new chains—and some of the biggest existing ones—are letting customers portion out their own dessert, add toppings and then pay by the ounce. The idea: Snackers are lured in by the expanded choices the stores offer—and may end up digging deeper than they would otherwise.

“People are doing things on their own that they wouldn’t feel comfortable asking someone behind the counter to do,” says Tim Casey, CEO of Mrs. Fields Famous Brands LLC, parent of industry leader TCBY, which is on target to open nearly 100 self-serve stores this year.

With weight-based pricing, the average self-serve ticket is $6.32, compared with $5.61 at a traditional store, says a TCBY spokeswoman.

Of the 71 frozen-dessert franchises tracked by research firm FRANdata, at least 17 have self-serve options. All of those chains opened in the past five years. For TCBY, the growth in self-serve is coming as traditional shops shut down. The chain closed 33 stores in 2010, and will shut 11 more this year, says Mr. Casey.

Why the new focus? People want the freedom that self-serve brings, he says: “If calories are an issue or budget is an issue, they’re in control.”

Make-your-own also eliminates waiting for employees to handle each order, says Natasha Nelson, co-founder of self-serve chain Yogurtini, of Tempe, Ariz. “The lines are out the door at night, and the lines move quickly,” she says.

What’s more, Yogurtini shops generally need just two employees to cover a shift, keeping labor costs relatively low, Ms. Nelson says.

Yogurtini Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Franchise Featured in the Wall Street Journal

Do-it-yourself does have drawbacks. For one thing, it can mean higher start-up costs for franchisees. FRANdata estimates the initial investment at about $277,000 to $521,000, compared with about $234,000 to $482,000 for a full-service shop. A large chunk of that comes from yogurt machines. They can can cost $15,000 apiece, and self-serve shops often offer more flavors than traditional stores.

Another major expense is space. With customers moving around the stores to get what they want, self-serve shops need 1,325 to 3,700 square feet, compared with 900 to 1,225 for counter-service models, FRANdata says.

Edith Wiseman, FRANdata’s vice president of client solutions, says sticker shock may end the trend. Snackers love all the choices, she says. But “humans aren’t known for self-control, so after loading up on toppings, the price shocks many consumers.”

Ms. Pessin is a writer in New York. She can be reached at [email protected].

 

About Yogurtini ®, and YHI, Inc:

Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha and Chelsey Nelson, Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association. The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the press in its native Arizona, where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” in 944 Magazine and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. Yogurtini® was also nominated for “Best Frozen Yogurt” by The Phoenix New Times. Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses. For media inquiries please contact Orange County Public Relations agency,www.nnpublicrelations.com

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program including www.facebook.com . Or follow us on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/yogurtini .For more information on Yogurtini® visitwww.yogurtini.com.

YHI, Inc is the franchise development company for Yogurtini. To learn more about being awarded a Yogurtini franchise visit www.yogurtini.com/franchise . Additional Yogurtini franchises are currently under construction and development in Florida, Colorado, Arizona and Missouri.

New Summer Flavors for Yogurtini Self Serve Frozen Yogurt!

Posted by andrea on Monday, June 6, 2011

Beat the summer heat and try one of Yogurtini Self Serve Frozen Yogurt’s newest summer flavors- Thin Mint Cookie and Angel Food Cake! These flavors are currently being served at all franchise locations in Arizona, Missouri and Kansas. Enjoy the Flavortini recipes we’ve created or come up with your own using some of over 70 toppings offered. We’d love to hear about yours!

About Yogurtini:

Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha and Chelsey Nelson, Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association. The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the national press including Fox Business, MARCH Magazine, the Arizona Republic, 944 Magazine where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. Yogurtini® was also nominated for “Best Frozen Yogurt” by The Phoenix New Times. Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini®’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses.

YHI, the franchising company for Yogurtini began franchising in 2009. The popularity of the brand and the business opportunity has Yogurtini self-serve frozen yogurt franchise grand openings planned across the country at an astounding rate. The company currently has over 30 locations under agreement and construction.

FOR MORE INFO ON BEING AWARDED A YOGURTINI FRANCHISE PLEASE VISIT http://www.yogurtini.com/franchise/

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program. www.facebook.com/yogurtini , www.myspace.com/yogurtini or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yogurtini.

Yogurtini self-serve in Inc. Magazine – “How to Give Your Franchise a Personal Touch”

Posted by Yogurtini on Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Inc Magazine- Yogurtini

Yogurtini self-serve in Inc. Magazine

When my sister Chelsey and I started the first Yogurtini frozen yogurt shop in Nov. 2008 we didn’t know we would be selling franchises so soon. The whole process from registration to constructing a new store has been fun and exciting. Yogurtini has quickly gone from one to ten stores in about two years.

Last week Darren Dahl from Inc. Magazine asked me about the success of our franchising efforts and how we keep a personal touch at each franchise location. We understand it is important to keep each store unique and encourage our franchisees to get involved. You can read the article here with tips from myself and other franchisors. If you have interest in opening your own Yogurtini take a look at the franchise section of our website. http://www.yogurtini.com/franchise/

best,

Natasha

About Yogurtini®:

Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha and Chelsey Nelson,Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association. The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the press in its native Arizona, where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” in 944 Magazine and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. Yogurtini® was also nominated for “Best Frozen Yogurt” by ThePhoenix New Times. Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini®’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses.

FOR MORE INFO ON BEING AWARDED A YOGURTINI FRANCHISE PLEASE VISIThttp://www.yogurtini.com/franchise/

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program. www.facebook.com/yogurtini , www.myspace.com/yogurtini or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yogurtini .