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Contemporary out of an unfulfilling finance profession, Neil Hershman was on the lookout for one thing completely different — one thing he might construct along with his personal fingers. That search led him to 16 Handles, a New York-based froyo model he frequented as a buyer.
Astrophysics diploma in a single hand, finance resume within the different, Hershman discovered himself behind the counter of his first 16 Handles franchise, sleeves rolled up and operating the shop from open to shut.
What began as a side project shortly spiraled into one thing larger. “Open and shut, each single shift I used to be working,” Hershman says. “I used to be in a position to advance the enterprise [and] usher in extra income to the purpose the place the revenue was so nice that I made a decision to depart all my different initiatives and simply concentrate on 16 Handles.”
At a time when different entrepreneurs had been retreating, Hershman expanded. He began constructing new shops throughout New York Metropolis throughout Covid-19, when retail leases had been low-cost and rivals had been shuttering. “As a substitute of getting scared, I used to be the one coming in and constructing,” he says.
Quickly, he wasn’t simply operating areas. He was main the complete firm.
Since buying the model from founder Solomon Choi in 2022, Hershman has led a nationwide growth of the froyo chain from 30 to 150-plus areas. His sudden journey from buyer to franchisee to CEO offers him a singular edge in in the present day’s crowded dessert market.
Hershman is behind a number of the model’s wildest flavors, starting from Harry Potter references to “french fry frozen yogurt” (a play on McDonald’s frequently broken ice cream machines). “I’m a part of the shopper base,” he says. “My household, my buddies, everyone seems to be a part of the shopper base. So it is simply concepts that we have now.”
The outcomes converse for themselves. “Our gross sales progress has been phenomenal, like once we launched french fry, or the Squid Video games-inspired taste, or the butter beer out of Harry Potter,” he says. “Our gross sales are up like 30-40% the week that we launched in comparison with prior years. So it actually does make a distinction.”
However constructing a thriving model takes greater than taste. It takes belief, consistency and loyalty — not simply from clients, however from the workforce. That is why the primary individual Hershman employed was Lisa Mallon, who co-owned the Fairfield, Connecticut, location along with her husband for 13 years.
“Who is aware of the model higher and believes within the model greater than individuals who have been profitable with the model?” Hershman says. “Someone who’s acquired 13 years of operating a retailer open to shut and is aware of buyer interactions and [what] clients need, easy methods to make the very best bang in your buck on this enterprise.”
This technique helps the model keep constant, that are the callouts Hershman appreciates most in customer reviews.
“We used to have one woman who ordered each single day, and it could at all times come by way of across the identical time, to the purpose the place if you heard the printer printing at the moment, we knew it was her order and what to do,” he says.
Someday, she left a five-star evaluate with an image of her froyo on her espresso desk. “Love this place, nice chocolate,” she wrote.
For Hershman, these few phrases had been a supply of encouragement. “Although it feels monotonous that we’re packing the identical order each single day, there’s someone on the different finish who all day might be wanting ahead to this second of opening up this bag,” he says.
Hershman careworn the significance of paying shut consideration to evaluations, whether positive or critical.
“[Loyal customers] know what to search for finest,” he says. “These are actually vital for us as a franchisor to know what is going on on with our areas, and for retailer operators to know what is going on on within the buyer’s thoughts.”
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Hershman and his workforce maintain a detailed eye on review platforms like Yelp to assist refine operations and construct belief whereas maintaining in thoughts that not each critique is a name to motion.
For instance, one of many challenges Hershman recognized isn’t getting the complete image of a buyer’s expertise primarily based on their evaluate. “You simply get the sides, so it makes it just a little onerous to make use of these evaluations as a long-term choice maker,” he says.
However, essential evaluations can present readability, and good evaluations can construct credibility. Each are opportunities to grow as a business.
Hershman’s story is about seeing potential the place others see plateaus and making actually particular moments for purchasers, who will return for the consistent experience time and again.
After taking up as CEO and reimagining 16 Handles for a brand new era, Hershman’s recommendation to entrepreneurs is straightforward however highly effective:
- Obsess over the customer experience. From staple merchandise to add-on providers, every thing may be improved to construct belief and domesticate repeat enterprise.
- Construct buyer loyalty at each flip. Reading and responding to customer feedback lets clients know their voices are heard.
- Innovate with purpose. Not each enterprise thought will see the sunshine of day, however specializing in fixed enchancment will maintain your online business aggressive.
- See your online business by way of the eyes of a buyer. Spending time on the entrance strains may give you a contemporary perspective on what’s working and what must be improved.
Take heed to the episode to listen to straight from Neil Hershman, and subscribe to Behind the Review for extra from new enterprise house owners and reviewers each Tuesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
