American frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry has decided that Metro Vancouver is fertile ground for several new locations, starting with a new store opening at Park Royal on July 21.
This despite closures at mom-and-pop frozen dessert shops such as the Milwaukee Market Creamery on Hornby Street and a cool summer so far.
“We are particularly thrilled to be opening the Canadian market in Vancouver,” said Pinkberry CEO Ron Graves in a release.
So is Ken Thicke, who will be the franchisee and area developer for Pinkberry British Columbia.
Thick gained his franchising smarts as director of operations at McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd. between 1984 and 2010.
Pinkberry launched in West Hollywood, California, in January 2005. About 60 of Pinkberry’s more than 140 current locations are in California, but the fast-growing company also has frozen yogurt stores in Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Peru.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom