• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About Franchise Chatter
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Affiliate Disclosures
  • Subscribers Only
    • Login
    • New to Franchise Chatter? Start Here
    • America’s Most Lucrative Franchises
    • Franchises Ranked by Average Revenues
    • Franchises Ranked by Average Profits
    • Franchise Winners, Survivors and Losers Last Year
    • FDD Talk
    • Search by Name
  • Top Franchises
  • Franchise Earnings
  • Costs
  • Fees
  • Quiz
  • Search

Fro-Yo Files: Di’Lishi CEO Marlo Francis Talks About the Importance of Community Involvement and Being Consistent

Published on December 12, 2012 by Franchise Chatter Leave a Comment
in Fro-Yo Files, Frozen Yogurt Franchises

(Ambrosio’s note:  Welcome to this week’s edition of Fro-Yo Files, an exclusive bonus series for Platinum subscribers of Franchise Chatter.)

Fro-Yo Files: Interview with Di’Lishi CEO Marlo Francis

Despite increasing market saturation, new frozen yogurt startups are finding a foothold in the segment and original approaches to differentiation. Franchise Chatter talks to Marlo Francis, CEO of Di’Lishi, a frozen yogurt company based in Asheboro, North Carolina, as it prepares to open its fourth location.

America's Most Lucrative Franchises of the Year

Picking Up the Habit

Di'Lishi Frozen Yogurt Photo by Alyssa Murkin



Learn Which Franchises Can Make You Rich
When Marlo Francis visited her eldest son at school in Savannah, she “had never really been an ice cream lover.” The calories and fat didn’t seem worth it. But when she had her first self-serve frozen yogurt there, she was floored: “I was shocked by how much I loved it.”

Fro-yo became a three-times-per-week habit. Francis would drive to larger towns, checking out different stores, noting “the commonalities.” A music major in college, Francis had always been interested in “creative things. I kept thinking, if I had a store, what would I do differently?”

She educated herself and developed a business model, all the time wondering what she could “bring that was different to the table.” When she was ready, she approached her husband, a pilot with American Airlines. “I practically had to revive him with smelling salts,” she recalls. But together, they “moved from one intersection to the next” as they refined the plan, and Di’Lishi (a play on “delicious”) opened in Asheboro in June of 2011.

Francis knew that the frozen yogurt industry had swollen, with few spots left on the playing field. Some small startups are content to be on the sidelines in large cities already dominated by large chains. “But I wanted to do it the other way around—I wanted to be a big fish in a small pond,” she says. Asheboro, with 30,000 people, was just the right size.


💰How Much Franchise Can You Afford? Use Our Free Financial Calculator



🎯Find GOOD Franchises in Your Target Industries That Are STILL Available in Your Area (Free Tool)


Three Platforms

Francis says her business relies on three platforms: good for the body, good for the environment, and good for the community. She found a supplier that provided quality yogurt with active cultures, and made sure all disposable items such as cups and spoons were recyclable or biodegradable. But the most important platform, for Francis, has been community involvement.

Di’Lishi has a community giveback program. The company researches the kinds of charities and organizations that the local community is most interested in, and enlists customer involvement. But instead of putting out a jar at the cash register, Di’Lishi tells customers they have one vote with each purchase for one of three local charities, to which it will donate money. At the end of each giveback cycle, charities are ranked in first, second, and third place, and all receive money: “everybody wins.”

The program “sets up a healthy competition,” Francis says. “We’re joining hands, and making sure local dollars are spent on local charities and the local economy. It’s the greatest thing we do. We really become part of the communities we move into.” Community involvement engages customers and earns their loyalty. For Francis, customers’ appreciative responses to the program make her “want to make snow angels.”



To Access the Rest of This Article and Other Premium, Income-Enhancing Content, Subscribe Now or Log In.

Gain the Insider Information (and Actual Earnings Data) You Need to Make a Safe and Smart Franchise Investment. Click Here to Learn More.



Gain the Insider Information (and Actual Earnings Data) You Need to Make a Safe and Smart Franchise Investment - See more at: https://www.franchisechatter.com/register/#sthash.le7wKJKM.dpuf

💰How Much Franchise Can You Afford? Use Our Free Financial Calculator



🎯Find GOOD Franchises in Your Target Industries That Are STILL Available in Your Area (Free Tool)





Franchise Winners and Losers Last Year

Tagged as: Di'Lishi

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous post: FDD Talk Daily: Average Gross Sales, Cost of Goods Sold %, and Net Income % of Franchised Complete Nutrition Stores

Next post: FDD Talk Daily: Gross Sales of Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa Franchised Businesses Open 12 Months or More

Primary Sidebar

💰How Much Franchise Can You Afford? Use Our Free Financial Calculator

🎯Find GOOD Franchises in Your Target Industries That Are STILL Available in Your Area (Free Tool)

As seen in:  New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, and CNBC

Login

Remember Me
Register | Lost your Password?
Reminder: Your username and password are case-sensitive.

Need help? Email franchisechatterblog@gmail.com

🚀 Daily FDD Talk Posts

Steak ‘n Shake Franchise

Garage Force Franchise

Pet Butler Franchise

Kilwins Chocolates Franchise

Matco Tools Franchise

Firehouse Subs Franchise

Mr. Handyman Franchise

GarageExperts Franchise

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Franchise

Moe’s Southwest Grill Franchise

Tim Hortons Franchise

Toppers Pizza Franchise

Sonic Drive-In Franchise

Elements Massage Franchise

Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise

Qdoba Mexican Eats Franchise

Great Harvest Franchise

Snap-On Franchise

Mathnasium Franchise

Beef Jerky Experience Franchise

Ellie Mental Health Franchise

Miracle Method Franchise

LearningRx Franchise

Ellianos Coffee Franchise

The Patch Boys Franchise

Grasons Estate Sales Franchise

Style Encore Franchise

Music Go Round Franchise

Play It Again Sports Franchise

Plato’s Closet Franchise

Once Upon A Child Franchise

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Franchise

The Maids Franchise

The Honey Baked Ham Company Franchise

Wings Over Franchise

🏆 Best Franchises by Industry

Best Franchises by Industry (All Lists)

Best Laundromat Franchises

Best Storage Unit Franchises

Best Car Wash Service Franchises

Best Gym and Fitness Franchises

Best Pizza Franchises

Best Sandwich Franchises

Best Childcare Franchises

Best Ice Cream Franchises

Best Coffee Franchises

Best Hamburger Franchises

Best Salon and Beauty Franchises

Best Chicken Franchises

Best Smoothie and Juice Franchises

Best Maid Service Franchises

Best Mexican Restaurant Franchises

Best Massage Service Franchises

Best Tutoring Franchises

Best Auto Repair Franchises

Best Auto Oil Change Franchises

Best Asian Restaurant Franchises

Best Pet Franchises

Best Commercial Cleaning Franchises

Best Sports Bar Franchises

Best Baked Goods Franchises

Best Moving/Junk Removal Franchises

Best Mailbox Franchises

Best Apparel Retail Franchises

Best Senior Care Franchises

Best Restoration Franchises

Best Tech Franchises

Best Travel Agency Franchises

Best Trampoline Park Franchises

Best Tools Distribution Franchises

Best Salon Suites Franchises

Best Property Management Franchises

Best Laboratory Services Franchises

Best Staffing/Recruiting Franchises

Best Real Estate Franchises

Most Profitable Franchises

Top Low Cost Franchises

Franchise Chatter uses affiliate links for Franchise Help and Franchise Brokers Association.

Franchise Chatter © 2022