Frozen yoghurt business guide
Build a Self-Serve Frozen Yoghurt Business
Open a new shop, revamp an old one or franchise your brand. We help at every step.
How it works
How a self-serve shop works
Customers pour their own frozen yoghurt, add toppings and pay by weight. Your team looks after the toppings bar, the scale and the till.
1. Grab a cup
Cups sit at the start of the wall, printed with your brand.
2. Pour
Customers pull the handle: one flavour, the other, or a twist of both.
3. Add toppings
Fresh fruit, crunchy crocks, sauces and dry toppings.
4. Weigh and pay
The cup goes on the scale. One price per 100 g keeps the menu simple.
New shop
How to open a self-serve shop
Six steps from idea to opening day.
1. Pick the site and format
Look for foot traffic and room for a machine wall, a toppings bar and seating. Check food business rules with your local council.
2. Size the machine wall
Plan for your busiest hour. 120 customers at about 250 g each is 30 kg in that hour, shared across the machines.
3. Lay out the shop
Keep customers moving one way: cups, machines, toppings, scale. Plan a dedicated power circuit for each machine before fit-out.
5. Build your brand
6. Fund, train and open
Spread the cost with finance. We train your team to run, clean and refill the machines.
Gelmatic
Machines for a self-serve wall
We recommend the Gelmatic Easy series. It has photocell cup recognition and refrigerated hoppers with level sensors. Ask us about the larger MV Easy 2 and HV Easy 2, and the MC Easy 1.
One supplier
Mixes, toppings, cups and spoons
Everything on the wall comes from the same supplier as your machines.
Frozen yoghurt mixes
Rubicone classic, low-fat, vegan and high-protein mixes.
Toppings and sauces
Crocks, crumbles, sauces and classic toppings.
Cups and spoons
Cups and paper spoons, custom printed with your design.
Custom-branded packaging
Our marketing team designs packaging in your brand style.
Recipes
Flavour ideas, plus recipes developed for your brand.
Açaí
Açaí mixes to run through a machine as another self-serve option.
Existing shop
How to revamp an existing shop
You can lift a tired store without starting again.
1. Service the machines
Our technicians can check what you have. If a machine is near the end of its life, ask about trade-in.
2. Refresh the flavours
Our frozen yoghurt mixes run in any soft serve machine, whatever the brand. We help adjust the settings.
3. Reset the toppings bar
Cut what does not sell and add new toppings and sauces.
4. Fix the customer flow
Move cups, machines, toppings and the scale so queues never cross.
5. Rebrand the cup
New custom-printed cups and spoons change the look of the shop without a refit.
6. Refit if you need to
We can connect you with shop fit-out partners.
Examples
What large self-serve businesses do
Three operators that show how far the format can go.
Yo-Chi
Founded in Melbourne in 2012. Customers serve themselves and pay by weight. Inside Retail reported more than 30 Australian stores in August 2025, when it opened in Singapore using the same model. The lesson: a simple format can move to a new market.
Menchie’s
Opened in Los Angeles in 2007. The International Frozen Yogurt Association counted 315 locations in December 2025, 26 of them outside the US. It sells franchises. The lesson: a consistent format is what franchisees buy.
Yogurtland
Opened in Fullerton, California, in 2006. The association counted 207 locations on its US website in December 2025. It also sells franchises. The lesson: one store can become a brand.
These businesses have no connection with Majors Group. We show them as examples of the format, not as customers.
Franchising
How to franchise your business
Franchising works when one shop can be copied exactly. We do not sell franchises. We help you build your own.
1. Prove the model
Run your own shop first, ideally more than one, and keep clear numbers that show it works.
2. Write it down
Put recipes, the fit-out, training, supplier lists and daily routines into an operations manual.
3. Protect your brand
Register your name and logo as trade marks with IPONZ before you sign anyone.
4. Get legal advice
New Zealand has no franchise-specific law. The Fair Trading Act and general contract law apply, and the Franchise Association of New Zealand has a code of practice for its members. Use a franchise lawyer.
5. Lock in supply
Use one supplier for machines, mix and branded packaging, so every store serves the same product. We can blend your own base and hold stock for weekly supply.
6. Train and roll out
We train each store and back it with parts and service. See our national rollout support for chains.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How we help
Support and finance
We stay with you after opening day.
Free showroom demo
See the machines running with our mixes. Book a demo.
Training
Hands-on training so your team can run, clean and refill the machines.
Parts and service
Genuine Gelmatic spare parts, maintenance and qualified technicians.
Finance
Spread the cost of your machines and keep cash for fit-out, stock and marketing.
Customised for you
Custom services for your new business
A new shop needs more than machines. We tailor the training, recipes, ingredients, packaging and fit-out to your concept.
Customised training
Full training built around your menu, your machines and your staff, including Carpigiani Gelato University courses.
Custom recipes
We develop recipes and flavours for your brand, then trial them with you before they reach your menu.
Custom bases and premix
Your own base or premix, blended to your recipe and supplied under your branded label.
Custom-configured machines
We configure machines to suit your product, your volumes and your site.
Branded packaging design
Our marketing team designs custom packaging in your brand style, with your logo on cups, tubs, spoons, takeaway containers and more.
Shop fit-out partners
Opening or refitting a store? We can connect you with trusted shop fit-out partners in New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Just ask us. The answer will be yes.
Majors TV & news
Latest news and videos
Events, new machines and training related to frozen yoghurt, from Majors Group and Carpigiani.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is self-serve or served frozen yoghurt better?
Self-serve needs fewer staff, and customers choose their own cup size and toppings. Served suits smaller sites and set pricing.
Which Gelmatic machine is best for a self-serve wall?
We recommend the Gelmatic Easy series. The floor-standing BV Easy 2 GR is the usual workhorse. The BC Easy 2 GR suits a smaller counter. Our compact Giotto machines suit cafes better.
How many machines does a self-serve shop need?
It depends on your flavours and your busiest hour. Each twist machine gives three choices: two flavours plus a twist.
How do customers pay?
Most self-serve shops charge by weight. The cup is weighed at the till and priced per 100 g.
Can you help revamp my existing shop?
Yes. Our mixes run in any soft serve machine, so you can change flavours without changing machines. We can also help with trade-in, new cups and fit-out partners.
Do you sell franchises?
No. We supply independent operators, chains and franchise groups, so you build your own brand.
How do I franchise my frozen yoghurt shop?
Prove the model, document your systems, protect your brand and take legal advice. We can then supply every store with the same machines, mix and packaging.
Can I finance the machines?
Yes. Finance is available. Call 0508 625 677.