Summer may be getting old but the frozen yogurt wars aren’t even close to cooling off. In the latest move, self-serve operator 16 Handles 16handles.com/franchise.htm has begun franchising its business to compete with the likes of larger-scale operators such as the Calif.-based Pinkberry and Texas-based Red Mango. Several additional Big Apple outposts are expected for Manhattan-based 16 Handles.
The company, which has operated a location at 153 Second Ave. in the East Village for two years, has a key gimmick. It allows patrons to fill their own eco-friendly cups with yogurt from 16 different machines. It also offers more 30 choices of toppings, with the total priced at 49 cents an ounce. One new franchisee is planning to open an Upper East Side location at 1569 Second Ave. at the end of this month, and two additional Manhattan outposts over the next 18 months.
