Mark your calendar: National Frozen Yogurt Month begins June 1. To celebrate, 16 Handles (http://www.16handles.com), New York’s premier self-serve frozen yogurt company, is serving up the results of its first annual Frozen Yogurt survey. Based on the findings, it appears that throngs of national frozen yogurt fanatics will be celebrating in June—and beyond—as frozen yogurt continues to gain in popularity.
Here’s the skinny on how hot this cool dessert/snack really is (media note: full infographic can be accessed at http://on.fb.me/N0DB0A. Press ready version available.) In an informal 2012 survey commissioned by 16 Handles:
- Nearly 79 percent of snackers shared that they prefer frozen yogurt to ice cream
- More than 45 percent eat frozen yogurt at least one once a month
- Nearly 95 percent consider frozen yogurt to be a better-for-you dessert and snack alternative to ice cream; more than half also cited frozen yogurt as their top choice for dessert over candy, cake and cookies
- Over 2/3 will pay up to $6 for a serving of premium frozen yogurt
- Almost 44 percent of those polled said they would rather give up ice cream for one month than go without Fro-Yo for the same time period; similarly, more than 23 percent would rather give up TV for one week.
“Since our beginning, 16 Handles has been uniquely obsessed with frozen yogurt as a better-for-you and delicious alternative to other frozen snacks and desserts,” says Solomon Choi, 16 Handles’ founder. “June is a great time to pay tribute to an industry and beloved product that is helping to put smiles on faces from the young to the young at heart.”
Industry advocates are quick to trumpet that frozen yogurt is also a boon to the domestic dairy industry. According to the Innovation Center for US Dairy, snacking foods are a $90 billion/year market domestically, and 51% of snacking occasions have some emphasis on health and nutrition. Other recent stats show that:
- The U.S. produced 30.3 million gallons of frozen yogurt mix in 2011 (Source: United States Department of Agriculture)
- While production in lowfat and regular fat ice cream declined from 2009 to 2010 by 0.9 and 4.9% respectively, frozen yogurt production increased by 8.1% during the same period (Source: Agricultural Marketing Resource Center)
16 Handles represents the continuing meteoric rise of frozen yogurt—not only as an ice cream alternative, but also as a rising American pastime. In the 1980s and 90s, healthful snacking burst onto the scene. Now, a generation later, the trend shows no sign of ebbing. Frozen yogurt tastes better than ever, and flavor varieties have multiplied. 16 Handles is a case in point. Having pioneered the self-serve gourmet model in New York City in 2008, the company has since expanded to 23 stores nationally.
Founded in 2008 by foodservice industry expert Solomon Choi, 16 Handles was first to pioneer the self-service frozen yogurt concept in New York City. With 23 locations across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and Florida, 16 Handles urges every guest to Flaunt Their Flavor™ by offering 16 handles of premium frozen yogurt, along with a complementary toppings bar featuring more than 50 items. The company continues to expand rapidly and forecasts that 43 stores will be open by the end of 2012. An eco-conscious company committed to sustainability, 16 Handles uses biodegradable packaging and spoons, while each store plants 16 trees per day though an ongoing partnership with Trees for the Future. For more information visit http://www.16handles.com, Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/16Handles) or Twitter (@16Handles).
Note: Survey conducted May 2012. Results pulled from the responses of more than 350 U.S. consumers, male and female, ages 16-40.
