LA-based dessert company Yoga-urt announced that it is now offering franchise opportunities, and is the first 100% vegan and gluten-free soft serve store to do so. Yoga-urt differentiates itself by using all organic and natural plant-based ingredients with no artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, and debunking the assumption that better-for-you desserts can’t be as mind-blowingly delicious as they are healthy.
As trend reports continue to point to the explosive popularity of vegan options within both the dessert and larger food markets, Yoga-urt is poised to supply an increasing demand from customers searching for dairy-free alternatives. The menu features over 30 nut milk-based options, including Chocolate Bliss, Salted Caramel Zen and Peanut Butter Prana, a toppings bar with mostly organic and all vegan options, organic smoothies, kombucha floats, banana splits, shakes, soft serve pies, pints to go, and more.
“Customers absolutely love our soft serve and with such high demand and growth, we’re proud to initialize the next step in the brand’s evolution through franchising,” says Yoga-urt Founder Melissa Schulman. “We hope to inspire a new crop of business owners who want to cement their legacy in the organic food and wellness industry.”
Yoga-urt was first conceived of by Schulman during her “Yoga Bubble Year,” a year-long sabbatical when she immersed herself in yoga practice. A health-conscious lover of a soft serve, she was inspired to create a new kind of yogurt bar where customers could simultaneously nourish themselves and relax in a peaceful setting. In 2014, she put a team together to begin R&D, and they meticulously selected all of the ingredients now used in their flavors, including a housemade, hand-squeezed almond milk that is the basis for most of their products.
Schulman opened her first location in Los Angeles in 2015; eight years later, flavors are still made fresh from scratch daily with all organic, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free ingredients, as well as added probiotics for digestive and immune health. She has successfully opened two more locations, now serving multiple neighborhoods throughout the city.
Yoga-urt’s three corporate stores are also all certified California Green Businesses that provide compostable or recyclable paper goods, which includes everything from spoons to bowls and cups to pint containers and stickers. Though not required to be officially certified, Yoga-urt franchisees will adopt the brand’s eco-friendly paper goods and practices.