Entertainment TV and Movies
ByCrystal Antonace|
In 2017, Alabama couple Chelsea and Logan Green opened The Yard Milkshake Bar, a build-your-own concept featuring 28ice cream flavors and extravagant milkshake toppings like brownies, cheesecake slices, and doughnuts. These over-the-top shakes quickly became popular since they're piled high with excess sprinkles, colorful candy, and whipped cream.A milkshake bar featuring drinkable desserts covered in sweet-treat-laden confections? This could quickly rivalany of America's best ice cream shops.
The Yard Milkshake Bar owners both grew up in entrepreneurial environments. Despite the couple's initial success with The Yard in its first few years in business, the Greens were committed to taking their chances on "Shark Tank" to expand their franchise-based business model. When Chelsea and Logan Green debuted on the popular ABC show, The Yard's four Alabama locations had already pulled in over $6 million in lifetime sales. While the Greens felt confident in their ability to run a successful business, they felt a Sharks' knowledge and business acumen could quicken the expansion of The Yard Milkshake Bar across the U.S.
What happened to The Yard Milkshake Bar on Shark Tank?
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Chelsea and Logan Green were determined to use their creative and unconventional novelties to create new and exciting shakes and even transform the best vanilla milkshake in the world into one noteworthy treat. Two years after opening The Yard Milkshake Bar, the couple forged ahead by making a confident pitch to the "Shark Tank" investors on Season 11, Episode 7. While from a business perspective, the Greens were already running a successful ice cream company, the couple wanted to streamline The Yard's franchising opportunities.
The owners proposed a deal of $400,000 in exchange for 10% equity in new franchise location sales. The show's big-time investors initially scoffed at the proposal, hoping to buy into a company where real money was already at play. While Kevin O'Leary offered $400,000 for 15% equity and Lori Greiner offered $400,000 for 12.5%, both deals included The Yard Milkbar's sales as a whole (not just new franchise locations).
Mark Cuban stepped in and offered the proposed amount for 25% equity under the new franchise umbrella. The Greens eventually accepted a solidified deal with him and agreed to a $400,000 buy-in for 22% of The Yard Milkbar's future franchise location sales.
The Yard Milkshake Bar post Shark Tank
Whether you're in the mood for an over-the-top brownie sundae or a strawberry milkshake adorned with classic cheesecake, you can rest easy knowing there are now plenty of The Yard Milkshake Bar locations nationwide to fix your sweet tooth. After debuting on "Shark Tank" in 2019, Chelsea and Logan Green wasted no time working with investor Mark Cuban to expand their popular milkshake business.
While many companies had a tough time staying afloat amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 The Yard Milkshake Bar successfully opened new locations including storefronts inGeorgia and Virginia. By 2021, there were 21 Yard Milkshake Bar locations in 10 states.
Chelsea and Logan Green utilized Cuban's expertise to streamline their brand's franchising opportunities. When visiting The Yard Milkshake Bar website, there is a lot of helpful information available to those hoping to expand upon their entrepreneurial drive. Estimated costs and assistance are outlined for those interested in potentially building and managing a Yard Milkshake Bar from the ground up. While the Greens have gained traction by supporting new milkshake bar locations across the U.S., this is not the only way the successful owners have maintained a profitable business.
The Yard Milkshake Bar products extend beyond brick-and-mortar locations
The Yard Milkshake Bar owners Chelsea and Logan Green developed several ways potential customers can purchase ice cream-related products in and out of the ice cream shop itself. Visiting one of the many Yard locations gives customers more options beyond the popular $17 milkshakes. You can order traditional milkshakes without extravagant toppings, sundaes, or classic ice cream cones. However, you can take home the included logo-inspired mason jar in building a fancy milkshake or ordering a specialty variety. Given mason jars have several cooking-related uses, these takeaway jars are a plus. Many franchise locations also offer grab-and-go ice cream flavors in classic mason jars.
Next to ice cream, The Yard also offers edible cookie dough you can purchase in-store or have shipped directly to your home through its website. These $18 jars range in flavor, are egg-free and include varieties like M&M cookie dough and Salty Caramel Chip cookie dough. The company website also offers a range of non-food-related merchandise like T-shirts, sweatshirts, and stickers. Regarding in-person shops, many Yard franchise locations may have different offerings depending on the specific location and customer base.
Is The Yard Milkshake Bar continuing to grow in 2024?
Since creating their milkshake business in 2017, Chelsea and Logan Green gained well-deserved recognition in the ice cream industry with their lavish milkshakes and drive to expand The Yard Milkshake Bar's footprint nationwide. The Yard now has 29 locations across the U.S. with more to come. While the company owners seem involved in the production and development behind each new franchise, each brick-and-mortar shop has a certain amount of creative freedom. For example, The Colony, Texas location features a specialty shake called The Texas Twister (candy cow included). Conversely, Flowood, Mississippi has a specialty shake made with Pirouline cookies.
Beyond these geographically diverse shakes, The Yard features the same themed monthly shakes available at all stores nationwide. For example, the company released an Easter shake complete with marshmallow bunny ears in March 2024. The company also regularly updates its social media accounts to amass more followers and spread the word on current milkshake bar happenings. There are countless videos of the brand's eye-popping shakes on TikTok and featured product updates via Instagram. Whether or not The Yard Milkshake Bar will eventually secure a spot on the world's best ice cream parlors list remains to be seen. If you hope to see a milkshake shop near you, keep an eye on the expansion of this whimsical ice cream company. The future remains bright for The Yard Milkshake Bar.
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