16 Handles Launches New Artisan Frozen Yogurt Collection and Toppings in time for National Frozen Yogurt Month

16 Handles
Published: May 29th, 2013

New Survey + Infographic Reveals Consumer’s Passion for Fro-Yo; Ryan Gosling and Obama Top Choices for a Fro-Yo Date

May 29, 2013 // Franchising.com // NEW YORK, NY - In celebration of National Frozen Yogurt Month—which kicks off June 1—16 Handles™, today’s most innovative frozen yogurt brand, is launching its all-new Artisan Collection, an assortment of delicious, high-quality self-serve frozen yogurt flavors and toppings thoughtfully crafted by a team of culinary chefs and experts.

16 Handles new Artisan Fro-Yo Collection launches with three flavors, available in select stores beginning June 3 and all stores by June 10:

• Tahitian Vanilla Bean: crafted with premium whole Tahitian vanilla beans
• Mint Chocolate Chip: refreshing green mint folded with bites of semi-sweet chocolate 
• So Fresh Mango Sorbetto: Made from real mangoes

In addition, three new chef-created toppings will hit the toppings bar:

• Coney Island Crunch: All your boardwalk favorites—pretzels, potato chips, graham crackers and more—baked into sweet chunks
• Banana Chips Foster: Banana chips baked in an explosion of caramelized brown sugar
• Brown Butter Blondie: Bite-size squares of browned buttery deliciousness

“Since we opened our doors five years ago, 16 Handles has remained committed to elevating the frozen yogurt experience and offering up flavors that make people—and their taste buds—happy,” says Solomon Choi, 16 Handles’ founder. “June is a great time to pay tribute to a snack and dessert consumers love, and we’re excited to bring our Artisan Collection to our fans.”

In addition to the launch of the new Artisan Collection, 16 Handles is celebrating America’s love for Fro-Yo by serving up the results of its second annual Frozen Yogurt survey. This year’s findings support that frozen yogurt continues to be a snack and dessert fans will crave in June—and beyond. Here's the skinny on how hot this cool dessert/snack really is:

• Fifty six (56) percent of those polled stated that frozen yogurt was their favorite dessert over ice cream (21 percent), cake/pie (13 percent) and cookies (8 percent.).
• Approximately 30 percent of consumers snack on frozen yogurt at least once a week and 41 percent enjoy Fro-Yo at least twice per month.
• While fat free, no sugar added and dairy free options matter, more than 67 percent of consumers say they choose frozen yogurt based on taste above all.
• When it comes to flaunting their flavor, consumers chose Salted Caramel as their fave flave (30 percent.) Birthday Cake (24 percent) ranked second, followed by Chocolate (19 percent) and Euro Tart (15 percent). Vanilla was selected as the fifth most popular flavor.
• Most frozen yogurt fans (74 percent) swirl between one and two flavors in their cup, with about half (49 percent) choosing three or four toppings. 
• When asked which celebrity they would choose to go on a Fro-Yo date with, actor and heartthrob Ryan Gosling topped the list (30 percent), followed by President Obama (22 percent) and Academy/Golden Globe award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence of “The Hunger Games” and “Silver Linings Playbook” (16 percent).
• More than 40 percent said they would rather give up coffee for one week than go without Fro-Yo for the same time period; similarly, 25 percent would rather give up Facebook for one week. 

About 16 Handles

16 Handles is an innovative frozen yogurt and dessert brand that encourages guests to Flaunt Their Flavor™. Whether guests want a better-for-you snack or an indulgent frozen dessert, 16 Handles offers something for everyone. Founded in 2008 by foodservice industry expert Solomon Choi, 16 Handles was the first frozen yogurt brand to pioneer the self-serve concept in New York City. Today the company has grown to 37 locations across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Florida and forecasts that 50 stores will be open by the end of 2013. Committed to sustainability, 16 Handles uses biodegradable packaging and spoons; each store plants 16 trees per day through a partnership with Trees for the Future. For more information visit http://www.16handles.com.

SOURCE 16 Handles