While Melissa Salisbury was living in New York City and attending FIT, she found a favorite frozen yogurt spot down the street from her apartment, 16 Handles. When it was time to move back home to the Capital Region, she brought it with her.
When I came home I didn’t have a job, so I figured I’d try the franchise and I got it, said Salisbury, of Schaticoke.
16 Handles opened in Clifton Park at the end of March and is the first location in upstate New York, mostly found in the southern part of New York State and the country.
`There’s nothing like it here. It’s a different concept. There really isn’t anything like it, it’s fun,` said Salisbury.
The young businesswoman (she’s only 25) took a big leap of faith when she applied to be a 16 Handles franchise owner, but she wasn’t all that worried. In fact, she was confident and excited to finally live out her dream.
`I’ve always wanted to own my own business,` said Salisbury. `It’s a little scary at first but it’s going good so far and I like it.`
The store takes `going out for ice cream` to another level. There are 16 different frozen yogurt flavors to choose from and more than 40 toppings to load on top. Each frozen yogurt `sundae` is unique because you make it yourself.
`It’s busier than we expected it to be, which is a great thing,` said Salisbury. `It seems like everybody that I talk to has rave reviews.`
All the frozen yogurt backdrops are kosher certified and fat-free, with classic flavors like Chocolate Eruption, Coffee Break, Irish Mint, Strawberry Fields or Pistachio to choose from as a starting point. For the more adventurous, there are flavors like Angel Food Cake, NY Cheesecake, Pineapple Express or Snickerdoodle. There are sorbets and toppings like berries, sauces, nuts, candy and more.
16 Handles also does custom frozen yogurt cakes.
Salisbury picked Clifton Park for the region’s very first 16 Handles because it’s a central, family-friendly location.
`It’s not a seasonal location like Saratoga or Lake George, there are a lot of families and it’s a nice community here,` said Salisbury.
She said her family has always owned its own businesses and with her B.A. in business administration and associates in fashion merchandising, the hardest part was getting approved to be a 16 Handles owner.
`You have to fill out paperwork, meet with the franchise and wait a couple weeks and they’ll get back to you,` said Salisbury. `You go down for training they were pretty much just looking at my education.`
All 16 Handles look the same, with a `futuristic` and bright atmosphere.
`The architectural stuff is very modern, it’s very bright with colors like orange and pink and green,` said Salisbury. `We always have fun music playing.`
Besides providing a quality product, customer service is her No.1 priority, said Salisbury.
`We try very hard to make the customers happy and make it fun for them,` said Salisbury, who has about 20 employees.
The 16 Handles franchise is focused on being environmentally friendly. According to the website, the company uses cornstarch spoons, biodegradable cups and composts and recycles as much as possible. It also partners with Trees for the Future, which means every 16 Handles location helps plant 16 trees a day.
The first upstate 16 Handles is located at 5 Southside Dr. in Clifton Park. For more information about the store and for a complete list of flavors, toppings and nutritional information, visit www.16handles.com.
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