Red Mango to open in fall 2009 in Allen

by PegNews wire

ALLEN — Red Mango, one of the most popular and fastest-growing retailers of all-natural, nonfat frozen yogurt, has announced a franchise agreement to open its first store in Allen.

Jay DeBlank, who previously served as director of retail product management at Blockbuster, has signed an agreement to open Red Mango at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm. The store is expected to open in late November.

DeBlank said the company's strategy to take the concept from a few dozen stores on the West Coast to a national presence, coupled with the product's health benefits, sold him on Red Mango.

"Red Mango CEO Dan Kim has developed a brand with an almost cult-like following, and his product innovation is never-ending. I wanted to be a part of that," said DeBlank.

With a background in retail, DeBlank knew his previous experience would serve him well with Red Mango. "My experience has been at a corporate level, assessing thousands of retail stores from behind a computer," he said. "The idea of taking one store and directly overseeing all aspects intrigued me."

DeBlank will run the Watters Creek store with his wife, Abbie, an advertising manager at Neiman Marcus, and believes the Allen community will embrace the healthy treats served at Red Mango.

"We're excited to bring Red Mango to Collin County and the city of Allen," said DeBlank. "Allen has had an explosion of growth recently and Watters Creek aligns well with our demographics. Not to mention that my 3-year-old twins are quite anxious to have unlimited access to their favorite Red Mango flavor, Tangomonium, topped with Fruity Pebbles. And knowing it's fat free and less than 100 calories, in addition to being yummy, makes parents very happy, too."

Red Mango awarded its first Dallas-area development agreement in August to Bill Chinn, a former senior vice president for GameStop. Chinn will open four Red Mango stores in Dallas this year, including a location at NorthPark Center.

Red Mango opened its first store in Los Angeles in July 2007 and has grown to almost 60 locations across 14 states. The company was recently honored with Nation's Restaurant News' 2009 "Hot Concepts!" award.

Red Mango is currently awarding franchise opportunities in select markets across the country for business owners and entrepreneurs interested in joining the growing network. Visit the website for more information.

Source: Red Mango