sweetFrog

What sweetFrog does

sweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt is a U.S. self-serve frozen yogurt franchise chain founded in 2009 by Annah Kim and Derek Cha and headquartered at 9311 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ. The company operates through MTY Franchising USA, Inc. and Kahala Management, L.L.C., both subsidiaries of Canadian food service conglomerate MTY Food Group (TSX:MTY). sweetFrog runs over 250 independently owned franchise locations across more than 25 U.S. states and the Dominican Republic, with concentration in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic markets.

The core product is self-serve premium frozen yogurt, where customers dispense their own soft-serve combinations from a rotating flavor menu and customize with toppings, paying by weight. The menu extends well beyond yogurt into DOLE SOFT SERVE tropical flavors, Gelato, Lite Ice Cream, Dairy-Free Sorbet, NSA (no-sugar-added) lines, and frozen treats, totaling roughly 100+ SKUs across categories. The business runs on standard franchise infrastructure rather than proprietary technology: a Spendgo-powered sweetRewards loyalty program (1 point per $1, $5 reward at 75 points), an online ordering platform at order.sweetfrog.com, a branded merchandise e-commerce store, gift cards with seasonal bonus eCard promotions, and a mobile app for rewards and ordering. Distribution is supplemented by DoorDash delivery and ezcater at select locations.

The revenue model combines five streams: (1) per-ounce/per-item frozen yogurt retail sales at franchise locations, (2) initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties paid by franchisees to MTY Franchising USA, (3) gift card sales with promotional bonus eCards, (4) catering and party event services (quote-based, sold through stores and ezcater), and (5) branded merchandise sales through the online shop. Customer acquisition relies on local store presence, DoorDash/eZcater delivery, sweepstakes, IP-driven seasonal limited-time flavors (Miraculous, Polar Express, Gabby's Dollhouse, Kidz Bop), email/loyalty marketing, and social media engagement.

Name

sweetFrog

Legal name

MTY Franchising USA, Inc.

Website

https://sweetfrog.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

sweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt is a U.S. franchise chain operating 250+ self-serve frozen yogurt stores across 25+ states and the Dominican Republic, serving families and consumers seeking customizable, dietary-friendly frozen desserts under MTY Franchising USA, Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Yogurt Retail

NAICS

Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Yogurt Shops (THAFAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Soft-Serve & Custard Stands (THAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Self-serve frozen yogurt
• Frozen yogurt franchise
• Frozen dessert retail
• Customizable frozen treats
• Family dessert chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Frozen Yogurt Retail Sales: Primary revenue stream from direct in-store and online sales of self-serve frozen yogurt, where customers fill cups with their choice of flavors and toppings and pay by weight or item.
2. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from branded sweetFrog merchandise sold through the online shop.
3. Gift Card Sales: Sale of gift cards, including promotional bonus eCard programs (e.g., $15 bonus on $50 gift card purchases during holiday periods).
4. Catering Services: Catering revenue from corporate meetings, school events, parties, family gatherings, and weddings, booked via in-store inquiry forms and ezcater platform.
5. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchisee licensing fees, as sweetFrog is an MTY Franchising USA brand operating through independent franchise owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

sweetFrog operates a premium self-serve frozen yogurt chain where customers fill their own cups with chosen flavors and toppings, paying by weight at the register. The chain complements its retail offering with catering, fundraising, party hosting, gift cards, branded merchandise, and a points-based loyalty program (sweetRewards). It distributes through 250+ franchise locations across 25+ U.S. states and the Dominican Republic.

Product overview

sweetFrog is a premium frozen yogurt chain founded in 2009, operating over 250 locations across more than 25 states and the Dominican Republic. The company offers a self-serve frozen yogurt model where customers create custom combinations from multiple yogurt varieties and toppings. The core product portfolio includes Premium Frozen Yogurt (available in NSA, low-fat, nonfat, and dairy-free varieties), DOLE Soft Serve® tropical fruit flavors, Frozen Treats, Gelato, Lite Ice Cream, and Dairy Free Sorbets. sweetFrog complements its product offerings with a loyalty program (sweetRewards™ powered by Spendgo), gift cards, catering services, fundraising programs, and party hosting. The company operates primarily through independent franchisee operators under MTY Franchising USA, Inc. and Kahala Management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Frozen Yogurt Self-serve frozen yogurt where customers dispense their own flavors from soft-serve machines and customize with toppings; available in nonfat, low-fat, no-sugar-added, and dairy-free varieties for general consumers, families, and health-conscious buyers.
• DOLE SOFT SERVE Co-branded tropical fruit-flavored soft serve product line offered as a distinct menu category, supplied and co-branded in partnership with DOLE Packaged Foods.
• Gelato Italian-style gelato menu category featuring Caramel Sea Salt, Chocolate, Cold Brew Coffee, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Vanilla Bean, Cookies and Cold Brew, and Horchata flavors for dessert consumers seeking premium frozen alternatives.
• Lite Ice Cream Lighter ice cream menu category with reduced-calorie options such as Campfire Crush, Fruity Cereal, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Sweet Corn Flake Cereal, Chocolate, Farm Stand Strawberry, Vanilla, and Milk and Cookies.
• Dairy Free Sorbet Non-dairy sorbet menu category for lactose-intolerant and dairy-free consumers, including Chocolate Fudge, Green Apple, Mango, Passion Orange Guava, Pomegranate Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon, and Hawaiian Passion Mango varieties.
• Frozen Treats Indulgent frozen treat flavors including Chocolate, Hot Chocolate, Candy Cane, Crème Brulee, Chocolate S'more, Salted Caramel Brownie, and Pistachio Nut Cake, targeting consumers seeking richer dessert options.
• sweetRewards Loyalty Program Free-to-join points-based loyalty program where members earn 1 point per $1 spent at participating locations, redeem 75 points for a $5 reward, and receive birthday rewards, member-only offers, and 25 bonus points at registration. Available to individual consumers aged 13 and over.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase online and in-store, redeemable at participating locations; promotional bonus eCard offers (e.g., $15 bonus on $50 purchase) are offered during holiday periods to drive gift card adoption.
• Catering Services Catering service bringing sweetFrog frozen yogurt to corporate meetings, school events, parties, family gatherings, and weddings; orders can be placed through local store inquiries or via the ezcater platform with individualized quotes.
• Fundraising Programs Fundraising programs where schools, churches, clubs, sports teams, and community organizations receive a portion of sales proceeds from designated sweetFrog event days, providing an easy, low-effort fundraising mechanism.
• Party Hosting In-store party hosting for birthday parties, art paint parties, group events, troop outings, and field trips, with booking handled via event inquiry forms at participating locations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Miraculous CorpcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 June 2026Miraculous Corp (joint venture between Mediawan and ZAG) partnered with sweetFrog as one of seven brands in a multi-category brand expansion campaign for the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir franchise (May–December 2026). sweetFrog offers limited-time hero-themed frozen yogurt products, exclusive color-changing spoons, in-store materials, and a Miraculous-themed sweepstakes at participating locations nationwide.
• Miraculous CorpcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026sweetFrog launched a limited-time 'Power Up Raspberry Macaron Frozen Yogurt' in partnership with Miraculous Corp, available May 27 through August 18, 2026. The partnership includes exclusive color-changing spoons and a Miraculous-themed sweepstakes, leveraging the franchise's themes of empowerment and self-belief to create memorable summer consumer experiences.
• PIPA SkincareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of seven partner brands in the Miraculous franchise multi-category expansion (late May–December 2026), alongside sweetFrog. Nature of partnership involves branded retail promotions and experiential activations at family-focused destinations.
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate FactoryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of seven partner brands in the Miraculous franchise multi-category expansion (late May–December 2026), targeting family-focused destinations with themed products and in-store materials.
• Color Me MineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of seven partner brands in the Miraculous franchise multi-category expansion (late May–December 2026), targeting family-focused destinations with themed products and experiential activations.
• Snip-itsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of seven partner brands in the Miraculous franchise multi-category expansion (late May–December 2026), targeting family-focused destinations with branded retail promotions.
• Cookie CuttersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of seven partner brands in the Miraculous franchise multi-category expansion (late May–December 2026), targeting family-focused destinations with experiential activations and sweepstakes.
• Crêpe DeliciousminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of seven partner brands in the Miraculous franchise multi-category expansion (late May–December 2026), targeting family-focused destinations with branded retail promotions and experiential activations.
• SpendgocoreTechnology or IntegrationsweetRewards loyalty program is powered by Spendgo, a third-party loyalty and rewards platform provider. sweetFrog uses Spendgo's infrastructure for point accumulation, reward redemption, birthday rewards, and member account management. Spendgo handles data processing and platform services for the rewards program.
• DOLE Packaged FoodscoreTechnology or IntegrationsweetFrog offers a line of DOLE SOFT SERVE frozen products including lemon, lime, mango, orange, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, watermelon, cherry limeade, pomegranate, strawberry lemonade, orange raspberry, and peach. DOLE SOFT SERVE products are a distinct category in sweetFrog's menu and represent a product supply and co-branding partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Red Mango: Red Mango is one of the original premium frozen yogurt chains offering nonfat and probiotic-forward products. It overlaps with sweetFrog in menu positioning (dietary-inclusive, health-adjacent) and franchise retail model across US locations.
• TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt): TCBY is a long-established frozen yogurt franchise offering soft-serve products with health-forward positioning. It overlaps with sweetFrog in franchise structure, frozen yogurt category, and consumer demographic targeting, and is part of the broader competitive set in self-serve and soft-serve froyo.
• Yogurtland: Yogurtland is a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise with a comparable pay-by-weight model, broad flavor and topping selection, and multi-state US footprint. It is sweetFrog's most direct competitor in the self-serve froyo category with similar target customer demographics and pricing approach.
• Pinkberry: Pinkberry is a premium frozen yogurt chain with a tart-focused menu and urban retail footprint. While its service model differs from self-serve, Pinkberry competes for the same health-conscious dessert consumer and is frequently cited alongside sweetFrog as a key competitive brand.
• Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt: Orange Leaf is a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise with a comparable pay-by-weight model, broad flavor rotation, and franchise-driven expansion strategy. It targets the same family and millennial consumer segments as sweetFrog across US retail locations.
• 16 Handles: 16 Handles is a self-serve frozen yogurt chain with a pay-by-weight model and modern store design. It competes with sweetFrog in urban and suburban US trade areas for the same health-conscious, customizable dessert consumer.
• Menchie's Frozen Yogurt: Menchie's operates a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise model with rotating flavors, toppings bars, and family-friendly positioning closely aligned with sweetFrog. Both brands compete directly for the same franchisee pool and family consumer segment across US shopping centers.

Broad incumbents

• Cold Stone Creamery: Cold Stone Creamery is a large, established ice cream franchise with national footprint and signature mix-in preparation. While focused on ice cream rather than frozen yogurt, it competes for the same family dessert occasion and mall-based retail locations as sweetFrog.
• Dairy Queen: Dairy Queen is a broad incumbent in frozen dessert retail with thousands of US locations offering soft-serve, Blizzard treats, and full food menus. As a much larger brand it competes with sweetFrog for family dessert occasions and franchisee investment dollars.

Others

• MTY Food Group (parent context): MTY Food Group is sweetFrog's publicly traded parent company (TSX:MTY) and a diversified franchisor of multiple food service brands including Cold Stone Creamery, Taco Time, and many others. It is relevant as the corporate parent and for portfolio benchmarking across other franchise brands it owns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Sweet-Frog-Chester/176277965727204
• Instagraminstagram.com/sweetfrog
• Xx.com/sweetFrog

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about sweetFrog