Member Article

Sloane Bros entrepreneur plotting frozen yoghurt empire from Brick Lane

Frozen yoghurt entrepreneur, Joe Chakra, is plotting national and global expansion following the success his Sloane Bros Frozen Yoghurt parlour on Brick Lane.

The brand, which launched in Shoreditch in June 2015, has said it is plotting a number of openings across the country for 2017 to add to its original East London venue and its Nottingham parlour which opened last year at Intu Victoria Centre.

Focusing on British craftsmanship and ingredients, the frozen yoghurt shop provides fat free frozen yoghurt, along with thick smoothies and specialty cups with bakery items and toppings sourced from other independent and family-owned British businesses.

Not content with constraining expansion plans to these shores, Chakra is also in the process of setting up international outposts for the brand and is encouraging franchise enquiries from the international business community.

In particular, the Middle East has been targeted as a potential growth market for 2018 and beyond, after Sloane Bros made an appearance at the Middle East Franchise Expo in Dubai last October.

Speaking ahead of the brand’s appearance on the trade show last year, Chakra said: “We expect a similar reaction in the Middle East to the one we have received and continue to receive in the UK.

“The frozen yoghurt market has been enjoying tremendous growth in countries such as the US and the UK because of its fat-free or low fat content, and the option of pairing it with other healthy snacks such as fruits and granola.

“The health conscious faction of consumers in the UAE, and the Mena region as a whole, is definitely growing, and we believe such an environment would be a natural fit for a new premium, tasty, healthy, and innovative frozen yoghurt brand.”

To further fuel its growth, the frozen yoghurt company has also announced it is launching a new £150k crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube.

According to its crowdfunding page, Sloane Bros, which has already raised £150k from private investors previously, said it hopes to open in new shopping centres across the UK and set up a new B2B business.