Did you know that though Menchie’s is relatively new on the scene in Fresno, its actually the leading frozen yogurt company in the world currently? And, that frozen yogurt is an 8 billion dollar a year industry?
With many consumers looking to improve their health and cut back on the consumption of junk foods and sweets, it’s not surprising that frozen yogurt shops, seen as a healthier alternative to ice cream, continue to thrive and grow in a way that other businesses cannot.
Several frozen yogurt chains have come and gone in the Fresno area, and some of the names are unfamiliar and leave only a minor impression, as the typical yogurt shop formula leaves a bit to the imagination. “Cups. Frozen yogurt dispensers. Toppings. Cold toppings. Weigh, pay.” Recently however, our family decided to try Menchie’s after our son’s baseball game and we were actually quite delighted by our experience there. In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we went back two more times in about a ten-day span, taking different members of our extended family along with us to check it out. (Or, maybe we were looking for a reasonable excuse to go back that often, “Oh! We need to take Gigi and Papa to Menchie’s! They haven’t been!” But hey, who’s judging, right?)
Why we love Menchie’s:
Selection
The range of yogurt flavors and toppings is exceptional. Truly. The best selection I’ve ever seen. Though I’ve not typically counted, I’d guess most other yogurt places I’ve been to probably offer 10-12 flavors of yogurt at a time. Menchie’s has at least twenty, and each machine can also swirl two flavors together, increasing your options. (Can’t decide which flavors to go with? Don’t worry, there are little sample cups that you can use to try any flavor you want for free.) The toppings area is extensive offering everything from malt balls to chocolate dipped strawberries, chopped peanut butter cups, the best maraschino cherries I’ve ever tasted, freshly cut fruits, I could go on and on. Any topping I’ve ever wished for was in the Menchie’s selection. The syrups and whipped topping options are also very well stocked offering marshmallow syrup, hot fudge, caramel, peanut butter syrup, whipped cream and Cool Whip and delicious and cavity inducing options.
Customer Focus
After doing a little online research, I learned the Menchie’s considers itself a people business first and a yogurt company second, with their vision being simply, “We make people smile.” You can feel that in the customer service and the friendly, relaxed environment in the store. Other frozen yogurt shops we’ve been to have had a setup that caused crowding, confusion and bottlenecks, but Menchie’s is setup in a way that the flow of creating your perfect dessert moves along well and doesn’t cause confusion or chaos. The clean, modern but friendly style of the indoor and outdoor seating areas are appealing and the people working the scales and registers are kind, helpful and patient.
Family Friendly
Menchie’s makes the effort to be a family-friendly hang out that appeals to children and adults and offers fun features like play areas, chalkboards on the walls guest can write on, and fun custom spoons that kids will want to collect and save. Plus, the prices are affordable, so it’s easier to say yes to a “Mom, can we go to Menchie’s request?” than many other family outing requests.
Considerate of Special Dietary Needs
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt offers yogurt options that have no added sugar, are high fructose corn syrup free, gluten free, and vegan. All of Menchie’s yogurt is certified kosher and all dairy yogurts are made with live, active cultures and from milk purchased from family owned farms in California where cows are treated humanely and without the use of antibiotics or hormones. Yogurt flavors utilize largely real food ingredients over artificial flavors, favoring spices, fruits and real cake over chemicals. Obviously, the health qualities of your particular frozen yogurt creation will be depended on the yogurt and toppings you choose, but almost everyone can find a combination that will enjoy and be able to eat at Menchie’s.
Community Focus
Menchie’s strongly encourages all franchises to play an active role in their community and give back through donations, events or partnerships. Menchie’s in Fresno will host a fundraiser night for your school or non-profit organization donating a percentage of sales to your organization if you simply make advance arrangements with the store.
Final thoughts
Though I most frequently am known for encouraging patronage specifically of local and independently owned businesses whenever possible in Fresno, I’ve got to say, though Menchie’s is part of a large global company it is really doing a fantastic job of creating a great customer experience and product in what might seem like a crowded market. If you haven’t tried Menchie’s yet – you really should! I know you’ll be glad you did.
Menchie’s is located in the Winepress Shopping Center off of Shaw and Marks, Marketplace at El Paseo at W. Herndon and 99, and in the Clovis Commons Shopping Center on Shaw and Willow in Clovis. A fourth location will be coming soon to Park Place, the new center off of Friant and Fresno Streets that will also be home to the area’s first Dave and Busters.
what an awesome article! as a menchie’s franchisee (in FL), I love hearing how we each as individual owners make our guests smile! I know that we as well as the owner of the store you have pictured here take great pride in continuing the menchie core values and mission 🙂 thank you so much for allowing your local menchies to make you and your family smile 🙂
Thank you so much for the great article! Even though Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is part of a large franchise, we are still a locally owned small business and we truly appreciate all of our guests who come and support us. Without our guests, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We strive hard to provide the culture that made us fall in love with Menchie’s in the first place. Thank you everyone for the support!