Franchisees Treat their Hometown to 16 Handles Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Concept — and their Community Responds in Kind
- 16 Handles franchisees Ken and Sarah Barlow recognized an opportunity when they discovered their hometown of Columbia, S.C., had no self-serve frozen yogurt shop.
- They opened in late June 2025 and had already surpassed $1 million in total revenue by the end of the year, allowing them to pre-pay their entire SBA 7a loan.
- The Barlows sought to “add something joyful,” not only by bringing self-serve frozen yogurt to their community, but also by hosting fundraisers for local schools, teams and organizations.
When Ken and Sarah Barlow (above) opened a 16 Handles self-serve frozen yogurt franchise last year in their hometown of Columbia, S.C., they had a community-centered plan for their business. Their goal with the froyo franchise was to create a space that makes people happy.
“The fun, upbeat environment has been a huge part of our connection with the community,” Ken says. “We also made it a priority to build real relationships beyond our walls. We reached out to local schools, sports teams and community organizations, and those partnerships have grown into something really meaningful.”
Since the opening, the Barlows’ 16 Handles froyo franchise has hosted more than 43 fundraisers for local groups, generating over $17,000 in sales for the organizations. “Being able to give back to the schools, teams and organizations in our community has been one of the most meaningful parts of this journey,” Sarah says.
Connecting with Community
Creating deep local ties has helped build strong support from the community in return. The store opened in June 2025 with long lines and one of the highest-revenue grand opening weekends in the company’s history. Before the year was out, the location had surpassed $1 million in sales…