In our 2019 National Frozen Yogurt Survey, we asked consumers “What other products might you try if a froyo shop offered them?” We found that 55% of our respondents might try shakes and smoothies from a froyo shop. This suggests that people who like frozen yogurt also tend to like smoothies and shakes.
The ingredients of a smoothie or shake share much in common with a cup of frozen yogurt. And, there is considerable overlap in the distributors and suppliers for frozen yogurt and smoothies and shakes. Or put another way, it’s easy for frozen yogurt shops to add smoothies and shakes to their menu. They’re relatively easy and inexpensive to make.
Also, there is a large potential market. According to IBIS World, the juice and smoothie bar industry is a $2.6 billion market, with an annualized growth rate of 1.5% from 2015-2020.
The Go/No Go Decision
Let’s say that you’re thinking of expanding your menu to include smoothies and/or shakes. Where do you start? First, consider whether it makes sense for your shop to add smoothies and/or shakes. Think about something you can’t easily change: your existing location. Is it a location that attracts or is near a large crowd of health-conscious individuals with higher levels of disposable income? If you’re near a gym or fitness studio or college in an area that isn’t already inundated with juice and smoothie shops, you’re in luck if you want to offer smoothies. If the people in your area prefer more indulgent treats, shakes are a better bet. Smoothies, which are typically made with fruit and/vegetables, juice, and yogurt, are seen as healthier and shakes, which are typically made with milk and ice cream, are seen as a sweet dessert. You could offer both, of course.
Tips for Making Shakes
Shakes are easier because you probably have most of what you need already. You’ll just need to purchase a blender, whipped cream, and an ice machine, if you want to add ice to your shakes. The ice will create a thicker, firmer texture to the finished product. You can have customers put their froyo and toppings in a cup and then blend those with whole milk or offer signature shakes based on your recipes.
Making Smoothies From a Mix or From Scratch
If you’ve made the decision to go ahead and add smoothies to your menu, you have an important decision to make – should you make your own smoothies from scratch or use a smoothie mix? There are a variety of smoothie mixes. Some include everything but the ice and blender. Others require you to add milk and ice.
Smoothie mixes are easy to use, shelf-stable and produce a more consistent smoothie year-round. Smoothie mix brands include Monin, DaVinci, Big Train, Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt, Mocafe, Maui, Torani, Dr. Smoothie, Island Oasis, etc.
Smoothie mixes are less customizable than from scratch smoothies. To make smoothies from scratch, you’ll need to invest in the right equipment: a restaurant grade blender, ice maker, and juicer.
You can find thousands of shake and smoothie recipes online. Try them out and find the best ones or tweak them if you’re more creative. Also, be sure to read about the Top 10 Smoothie Market Trends from Technavio.
