Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt (or simply Orange Leaf) is an Oklahoma City-based chain of self-serve frozen yogurt franchises founded in 2008. It has spread to over 300 locations in the United States and has also expanded internationally.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Franchised chain restaurant |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served |
|
Key people | Kendall Ware (President and COO) |
| Products | Frozen yogurt |
| Owner | Mike Liddell |
| Website | orangeleafyogurt |
History
editPreviously known as Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt,[1] it was founded in 2008.[2] Mike Liddell and Reese Travis noticed a franchise was doing good business in Edmond, Oklahoma. They purchased a franchise in 2009,[1] and Liddell purchased the company in 2010.[3] Liddell then moved the company from California to Oklahoma, hired Travis as CEO, and changed the name to Orange Leaf.[1]
In April 2011, it had 63 stores open in the United States,[2] and it expanded to 111 locations in September 2011.[1] As of October 2013, it had over 300 locations (by 2017 that number had reduced to less than 210 locations), and it planned an IPO in 2015.[4]
Frostee Rucker and John Calipari have invested in franchises.[5]
In 2014, an Indiana-based franchisee had filed a suit in federal court in Indianapolis that "Orange Leaf misled him and made false statements about store revenue to coerce him into opening shops outside of Indiana—in Illinois, Florida, and Tennessee."[6][7] Orange Tree had filled a counter suit claiming breach of contract. In January 2018, Orange Leaf named Kendall Ware the President and COO.[8]
International locations
editOrange Leaf opened its first international franchise, located in Australia, in 2011 in Melbourne.[9][10] By the end of 2013, there were three locations in the state of Victoria plus one at Bondi Beach, in Sydney.[11] As of September 2015[update], there are four locations in the states of Victoria and one location in New South Wales.[12]
In 2014, CNBC reported that it has expanded into Asian markets, including China.[13] Although it was announced in May 2014 that two stores were going to open soon in the Chinese city of Shanghai,[14] no stores have open on the Asian continent as of September 2015.[15]
Stores
editThe stores are self-serve. They offer sugar-free, gluten-free, non-dairy, and vegan alternatives.[16] The Oklahoman described the stores as "living rooms that happen to have yogurt dispensers".[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Cathey, Dave (2011-09-07). "Orange Leaf is serving cool treats at more than 100 locations". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- ^ a b Biles, Jan (2011-04-11). "Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt to open in Topeka". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- ^ Burkes, Paula (2011-07-24). "Ex-OU football player finds his niche in frozen yogurt". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- ^ Picker, Leslie (2013-10-11). "Orange Leaf Seeking Acquisitions Ahead of Frozen-Yogurt IPO". Business Week. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ Port, David (2012-03-19). "Sports Figures Invest in a Sweet Setup". NBC News. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ Gable, Paul (2015-04-25). "Is lawsuit reason why Shelbyville's Orange Leaf is not reopening?". Shelbyville News. Retrieved 2015-09-05.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Olson, Scott (2014-11-22). "Orange Leaf franchisee seeks $33M in suit". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ "Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt promotes Kendall Ware to president and COO". Nation's Restaurant News. 2018-02-23. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
- ^ Ruggless, Ron (2011-12-10). "Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt expands into Australia". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- ^ "Oklahoma City-based frozen yogurt franchise adds stores in U.S., Australia". The Oklahoman. 2011-05-28. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- ^ "Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Expands Presence in Australia". Reuters. 2013-12-04. Archived from the original on 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ "Find the Nearest Frozen Yogurt Store". Orange Leaf Australia. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ "Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt goes to Asia". CNBC. 2014-06-10. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Expands Into China". PR Newswire (Press release). 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ "Find the Nearest Frozen Yogurt Store". Orange Leaf. Archived from the original on 2015-09-03. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ Alfs, Lizzy (2014-04-09). "Orange Leaf brings 2 new frozen yogurt shops to Ann Arbor". mlive.com. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
External links
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