Red Mango: The Growing Franchise

George Abgeris, owner of the Red Mango frozen yogurt and smoothie shop in Stony Brook, N.Y. was inspired by the success he saw other Red Mango owners on Long Island enjoying before he himself became a franchisee.

“I was looking all over Long Island”, said Abgeris. “First I saw it in Deer Park. When they first opened I saw the store was busy. Then I saw another one in Plainview.”

Abgeris made haste in contacting the corporate office to inquire about Red Mango franchise locations available elsewhere on Long Island. His Stony Brook store opened November of last year and now, according to Abgeris serves nearly 500 customers each day.

Sophia Chiaramonte, a local student and regular customer at Red Mango favors the store because of the customizability of the yogurt. She also likes the store’s aesthetics.

“It just doesn’t look like your normal ice cream place or whatever. I wasn’t really expecting to like frozen yogurt that much but it’s really good”, she said.

Other customers say that Red Mango is conveniently located and quick, providing a fast snack for customers on the go. The store serves many regulars according to Abgeris, both students at the nearby Stony Brook University and Stony Brook locals.

Abgeris organized a large-scale advertising strategy for the restaurant’s grand opening that included coupon mail-outs and ads played in movie theaters. The advertising campaign continues today, bringing a steady stream of customers to the store.

This particular Red Mango is found across the street from a Starbucks and not far from several Baskin Robbins locations (one is found on the very same street). This is a situation common among the several new Red Mango restaurants on Long Island; they are close to and sometimes even in the same shopping centers as the restaurants that have for years been the go-to places for Long islanders seeking ice cream and other sweets. Abgeris however, thinks that there is room for everyone.

“I don’t think we take business from them”, he said. “We have totally different products. If people go to Dunkin’ Donuts the go for the donuts and if the go to Starbucks they go for the coffee. Here they come for the smoothies and for the yogurt.”

When asked what makes his product so different from those offered by what some might call similar restaurants, Abgeris responded that the yogurt is fat free, and that the health factor, for customers, was the most important thing.

The Red Mango company’s website has a page dedicated to those interested in franchising on Long Island and elsewhere, including a timeline of the application process. The company that originated in South Korea in 2002 celebrated the opening of its 100th United States location in February of 2011 according to the website.