The opening of a Yogiberry in College Park last November was a long time coming for Vincent Doan. Although the University of Maryland community was only recently introduced to the local chain’s tart treats, the 21-year-old Maryland graduate has been involved with Yogiberry since his mother and uncle opened the frozen yogurt (or “FroYo”) business’s first store in the spring of 2008.
“Yogiberry in College Park was inevitable,” said Doan, who graduated last December with a degree in economics. “I knew as a Terp myself that us [sic] students have great taste in food, and the dessert department here seemed to be lacking. We went in knowing that we needed to stand out and provide something out of the ordinary with an exceptional standard.”
Students seem to be responding well to the new dessert offering. Business at the College Park store “is doing good [sic],” according to Doan. In fact, in the midst of an economic downturn, the entire chain is keeping its head above water, he said.
The secret is in ordering the right amount of inventory so that nothing goes to waste, which “is all done with precise accounting based on previous trends through our previous financial reports,” said Doan.
Yogiberry’s atmosphere does not hurt either. Known for its sleek furnishings, neon-bright colors, pebbled floors and futuristic bubbled walls, the store’s modern feel is an extra draw for students.
“I think Yogiberry is really cool because it has a more modern vibe to it,” said sophomore English major Jamie Barkin. “I go there because it’s a fun place to eat.”
That response is exactly what the chain aims for, said Doan, who described Yogiberry stores as “vibrant” and “luminous.”
“If the customers enjoy the atmosphere there is obviously more of an incentive for them to look forward to coming in and grabbing some FroYo,” he said.
Another way that the store achieves its goal of “subtly [standing] out” is by keeping design simple, a concept achieved in part by using minimal signage.
“We don’t have much print – just our menu,” Doan said.
Outside of the store, one won’t see much in print about Yogiberry either. Other than maintaining a Facebook page and a Twitter account, the chain mainly relies on word of mouth to market its four locations: College Park, Rockville, Columbia and Cleveland Park
“Word of mouth is one of the best forms of marketing, in our opinion,” Doan said.”We like to let our product speak for itself and believe that if we put out a consistent, quality product matched with our very hospitable customer service, then we will be successful.”
Doan hopes to see the store continue to grow and succeed.
“We want to reach out to the entire region, so hopefully you will be seeing more Yogiberries in the local area,” he said.
As a successful young entrepreneur, he also had advice for others hoping to follow his family’s lead.
“Network, network, network, [and] always keep an open mind,” Doan said. “Try to stay organized and make sure your numbers match up. And most importantly, always stay hungry and constantly try to improve while continuously brainstorming new ideas.”
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