TCBY
 | |
| Industry | Chain restaurant/Franchise |
|---|---|
| Founded | Little Rock, Arkansas, United States 1981 |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | More than 800 [1] |
Area served | North America, Canada, Central, South America, the Middle East and Eastern Asia |
| Products | Frozen Yogurt |
| Parent | Mrs. Fields |
| Website | www.TCBY.com |
TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt) is an international franchise chain of frozen yogurt stores based in the United States. It is the largest U.S. retailer of soft-serve frozen yogurt with live active cultures.[2]
History
In 1981, the first TCBY store was opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA by Frank D. Hickingbotham. TCBY began franchising the next year, and by 1984 there were over 100 stores. As the company grew, the name was applied for a time to the tallest building in Arkansas, known until 2004 as the TCBY Tower, in downtown Little Rock. It is now known as Metropolitan Tower.
Initially, the company's name was "This Can't Be Yogurt", but a lawsuit from a competitor named "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt!" forced TCBY to create a new backronym for its initials.[3]
In 2000, TCBY was acquired by Mrs. Fields Famous Brands, and the corporate headquarters relocated to Cottonwood Heights, Utah. [citation needed]
Products
TCBY has many flavors of frozen yogurt. All stores have soft serve and hard scooped yogurt. The soft serve yogurts consist of Golden Vanilla, Chocolate, and White Chocolate Mousse that are to be served daily, and then a variety of other flavors. Most stores have at least three soft serve yogurt machines allowing them to serve at least one no sugar added soft serve yogurt flavor. The No Sugar Added yogurt is made with splenda instead of regular sugar. TCBY offers many regular and sugar free toppings. One of the most popular toppings is wet walnuts, which consists of walnuts in hot maple syrup. TCBY also serves drinks such as Berriyo yogurt smoothies and Frappe Chillers.
Deals
At many TCBY locations, waffle cones are sold for $1.50 or $1.00 on Wednesdays. Toppings cost extra. It is referred to as "Waffle Cone Wednesday."
Every year, TCBY offers Mothers across the nation a free frozen yogurt on Mother's Day [4], and Fathers a free frozen yogurt on Father's Day. [5]
Store Giveaway
In October, 2009, TCBY launched the "This Could Be Yours, The Great TCBY Store Giveaway." The contest rewards one person with his or her own TCBY store. To enter, contestants must submit a video, no longer than two minutes, explaining why they should be the recipient of their very own TCBY, why their town is the perfect location, and what they have to offer the brand. Submissions are judged on creativity, a sense of business acumen and originality. Originally, videos were accepted till November 30, 2009, [6] but the deadline was extended till March 31, 2010.[7] Following the initial entry round, TCBY will narrow all video submissions down to 10 semi-finalists. Beginning in early April 2010, the public will then be given the opportunity to help narrow the list down to 5 finalists, who will go through an informal interview process before the winner is chosen.[8] TCBY even offered Conan O'Brien the chance to enter and win when there was talk of him leaving the Tonight Show. [9]
References
- ^ "TCBY Offering Its Own Stimulus Package in Store Giveaway". Yahoo! Finance.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Chasan, Emily. "Cookie chain Mrs. Fields to file for Chap. 11 bankruptcy protection". Reuters.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Seth Stevenson (2004-05-03). "Alphabet Soup: Now what does KFC stand for?". Slate. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
- ^ "Mother's Day Givaway" (PDF). TCBY press release. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ "TCBY to Celebrate Father's Day with Free Frozen Yogurt". Chain Leader.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "TCBY opens store giveaway contest to video submissions". QSR.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Still Time to Own your Own TCBY, Chain Extends Contest Deadline". Restaurants and Institutions.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "TCBY opens store giveaway contest to video submissions". QSR.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Welker, DeAnne. "Conan O'Brien gets job offer from Mrs. Fields -- more than two decades after applying". The Oregonian.
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External links
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