With credit tight and stiff competition from mom-and-pop frozen yogurt shops, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s new franchise concept, Aspen Leaf Yogurt, hasn’t yet taken off as the company hoped.
The company’s net income for the first three quarters of this fiscal year declined 17 percent compared with the same period last year in part because its continued investments in Aspen Leaf Yogurt haven’t produced a boost in revenue.
The company would like to increase the number of franchisee-owned stores, but it recognized startup costs pose a potential obstacle for those who may be interested in the concept, said Bryan Merryman, chief operating officer for the Durango-based chocolate company. More.