Orange Leaf announces plans to tap China yogurt market

A MASTER franchise agreement between Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt and Chinese investors commits to launching 100 stores in China, Hong Kong and Macau beginning this year. The brand, which is considered one of America's fastest-growing frozen yogurt concepts,¹  will open two stores in Shanghai in 2014.  All stores will mirror the same concept in the U.S. – self-serve frozen yogurt machines and choose-your-own toppings that can be enjoyed in a visually uplifting place to gather. However many of the toppings will be locally sourced to cater to regional tastes. Once development is underway, Orange Leaf will develop Asian-inspired flavours and additional toppings.

The stores will consist of a mix of stand-alone stores, stores located in malls and Orange Leaf's new kiosk model. Similar to the company’s U.S strategy, Orange Leaf's Chinese franchisees will scout high-energy locations with strong visibility where customers of all ages live and gather to enjoy time together with a special treat.

Orange Leaf has more than 209 franchisees and is adding new ones continually, with almost 70% of the stores currently under construction being built by existing franchisees. With expansion in China underway, the Orange Leaf team also launched a new franchisee recruitment website that includes video testimonials from existing franchisees as well as franchise ownership details regarding store designs, operations costs and marketing support.

The China Chain Store & Franchise Association said that the demand for food and beverage franchises in China is strong, with 92% of worldwide franchise brands planning to open new stores in China in 2014.

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¹ IBISWorld Industry Report "Frozen Yogurt Stores in the US," Nov. 2013.  In 2014, Entrepreneur ranked Orange Leaf as one of the top three new franchises, and Technomic ranked the company as one of the top five fastest-growing chains.