2024-04-08 19:24:09
It is next May that Yo by Yogurtlandia, the first franchising Luxembourgish brand of the Venetian ice cream shop, will open its doors in Luxembourg. The location has already been chosen: the ground floor of Belval Plaza in Esch-Belval.
After Italy (where it has around fifty points of sale), Switzerland, Barcelona, Slovenia and also some stores in France, the Italian chain specializing in frozen yogurts arrives in the Grand Duchy.
Following in the footsteps of Smoo Jo in the center of the capital, Yahourt Factory in Cloche d’or and Yomaro in Belle Etoile, Belval Plaza will also have its own kiosk dedicated to frozen yogurt, a trend launched around fifteen years ago in California .
An “ideal” location
“We will be located on the ground floor, between H&M and the new store of the Italian cosmetics brand Kiko Milano. In a space of around 20 m2, but with a terrace with space for ten tables located inside the gallery. It’s a really ideal location,” says manager Valérie Selvaggi-Kontzler.
However, Fred’s, a Belgian chain specializing in waffles and ice cream, is just a few meters away… “We don’t see it as a competitor. Of course, we also sell ice cream, but we operate in very different niches. What is important for a business like ours is to have movement. Lots of movement. Therefore, a location in a shopping center is crucial for us,” he explains.
A childhood dream and a ‘franchise’
Valérie and her husband Marco (Selvaggi, known in Luxembourg football circles for his role as intermediary in the transfer of some international players) had the idea of opening a store of this type “several years ago”, she reveals.
“It’s a dream that comes directly from childhood. For me, it’s the ice cream truck that traveled the roads of my village and was synonymous with joy for all the children. And for the Marco of his Italian origins and the famous ice creams that he used to taste on his trips to Italy”, he describes.
Initially active in the real estate sector, the duo “always maintained the idea of opening an ice cream shop”. And the current slowdown in the Luxembourg property market has opened the door to the dream, so to speak. “But to launch ourselves definitively, we needed the support of a franchise”, points out Valérie Selvaggi-Kontzler.
Supported in this adventure by two other investors, they took a “tour of the market” before investing in Yogurtlandia, an Italian brand, originating in Venice.
Also for diabetics
“The most important thing for us was the quality of the products. Less sweet than others, in particular. And the brand also agreed to develop a new product: a sugar-free frozen yogurt specially created for diabetics. Our mothers suffer from this disease, so it seemed like an obvious choice. A sugar-free frozen yogurt that can also be enriched with toppings, including fresh fruit”, says Valérie.
The frozen yogurts will be made on site, “using Luxlait yogurt and La Provençale products”, he concludes.
*Article originally published on Comma and adapted for Contacto by Paula Freitas Ferreira.
2024-04-08 19:24:09