New York City-headquartered 16 Handles, an upscale frozen yogurt and dessert store operator, was on a roll in 2025. The franchise opened eight outlets in Texas, South Carolina, Florida and New York, with multiple new locations on track to exceed $1 million in revenue in their first 12 months. Several stores set and broke grand opening sales records, generating as much as $13,000 in gross sales on opening day.
“The excitement for 16 Handles today is driven by category-leading unit economics, a surge in popularity of our product, and our premium branding,” said Fred Frey, vice president of franchise Development. “Our average unit volumes and same store sales continue to rise while build-out costs have come down with modular equipment packages. Franchisees are seeing exceptional early performance. It’s a great testament to our success when we see a majority of new single-unit operators already pursuing a second location.”
In 2025, 16 Handles signed 25 new franchise deals across seven states. The brand now has 32 new stores under development, bringing its total footprint to 67 open or in-development stores. These deals represent significant new market entries and expansions, including:
• Arizona – Multiple locations within Phoenix metro will open beginning February 2026
• Virginia – Virginia Beach and Newport News stores will open during the Spring of 2026
• Chicago – The debut of Illinois’ first location will take place in Naperville during this summer
• Texas – The brand continues to expand in Texas, including market debuts in San Antonio and UT Austin, and increased Houston and Dallas presence
• Tri-State Area – New stores are slated across the Northeastern USA stretching from Hartford, Connecticut to Princeton, New Jersey, and additional NYC metro area stores in Brooklyn and Staten Island
16 Handles outlets offer16 rotating soft-serve flavors, over 50 toppings and sauces, and frozen novelties like cakes, take-home pints and DŌ gourmet edible cookie dough. The brand pushes the boundaries of innovation, with recent limited-edition flavor launches including French Fry, Squid Ink, Butter Beer, Coconut Lemon Saffron and Keto Chocolate Brownie, alongside staples like Classic Vanilla, Original Tart, and Made with Nutella.
