New York City’s leading self-serve frozen yogurt shop, 16 Handles, opened its first new store prototype last month in Naples, Florida. The debut kicks off expansion outside of the New York market, with several new stores currently under construction in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, South Carolina and other states.
16 Handles in Naples is owned and operated by local franchisees Alex Nicholas and Jib Reagan. Nicholas, who also owns a fitness franchise brand, wanted to bring the iconic NYC dessert destination to Florida. “I am a big believer in 16 Handles from my time living in New York City. I am thrilled to bring the cool vibe of this brand to Naples,” says Nicholas.
The grand opening May 13 featured a meet and greet with co-owner and celebrity YouTube star Danny Duncan, along with the brand’s CEO Neil Hershman. There were estimated to be more than 500 people in attendance for the celebratory ribbon cutting, with traffic continuing through the late evening.
16 Handles’ new store design features a first in-class modular topping bar, which allows more flexibility for operators while maintaining the seemingly endless amounts of topping options guests enjoy. New soft serve machines save electricity and allow franchisees to offer a more consistent product with less labor. The store design also features a new look and feel, highlighting the brand’s colors and new signature slogan, “Choose Wildly.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of 16 Handles in Naples,” says Hershman. “With so much expansion underway in Florida and elsewhere around the country, it is exciting to show our customers and franchisees our commitment to innovation. Our goal is to have many more successful store openings just like this one until we become the #1 soft serve and frozen yogurt chain nationwide, just like we already have in the Northeast.”
16 Handles sets itself apart with modern store design, an exclusive and addictive product lineup, and an unparalleled customer experience. The menu features 16 different soft serve flavors, 50+ toppings and sauces, as well as a variety of frozen novelties such as cakes, take-home pints, and Dō gourmet edible cookie dough.
