Franchise Focus

The magic formula behind TCBY’s highest-grossing location

A Dallas-based franchisee has maintained TCBY’s highest-grossing location for over two decades by leveraging strong corporate systems, a unique drive-thru format, personalized community engagement and exceptional employee retention strategies.

Photo: TCBY

August 7, 2026 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

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For Doug Sanders, the secret to running TCBY's highest-grossing location for more than two decades isn't found in a modern self-serve machine or a fleeting dessert trend.

It's found under a 20-foot glowing waffle cone sign in Dallas, Texas, where he has spent the last 25 years as a franchisee simply putting smiles on faces.

With 44 years of experience in the frozen yogurt industry, and a hands-on approach that keeps him in his store seven days a week, Sanders proves a legacy brand can still break revenue records through deep community connection, a rare drive-thru format and a commitment to old-fashioned customer service.

Sanders originally created his own frozen yogurt brand in Durango, Colorado, right out of college. He eventually moved back to Dallas, where he grew up. The TCBY brand was strong in the area, with somewhere close to 60 stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. There were no franchised locations available to buy in the area, so Sanders became the manager of a local store. When that store became available to franchise, it was bought by the woman who trained him. Eventually, Sanders bought it from her in March of 2001.

Aside from TCBY, now in its 45th year, Sanders is a franchisee in several other brands, including Subway, Denny's, Chevron and more. Still, his TCBY store is where he spends the majority of his time.

"We're putting smiles on faces all day long, and that kind of vibe is nice to be around all the time," Sanders said in a phone interview with QSRweb.com.

Doug Sanders (back) with employees in his Dallas TCBY unit. Photo: TCBY

Mastering the model: Systems, service and standing out

TCBY had systems in place when he took over as the franchisee in Dallas, unlike the frozen yogurt store he launched in Colorado. Those systems aided Sanders in operations like training and equipment maintenance. Changing the blades of the machines regularly and keeping the temperatures just right are essential to producing a top-level product.

Sanders said TCBY asks for feedback on innovation and operations from franchisees. "They've been doing that very well over the course of time, trying to see what our thinking is on particular initiatives that they've got coming up," Sanders said. He added corporate has always been responsive to his needs.

Sanders' TCBY franchise has been one of TCBY's highest-grossing locations for more than 20 years, and Sanders said 2026 is going to be his best year yet. He attributes that to the staying power of TCBY, a legacy brand that has succeeded in the DFW region for decades.

His location is on a corner lot in a high-income neighborhood, and Sanders has a 20-foot-tall, iconic waffle cone sign that lights up at night. It was the first of its kind for the brand. Sanders' store also has a drive-thru, which many of the brand's other units do not.

Sanders is in his store frequently, and that kind of face time makes his franchise a standout in the company. He does sleight-of-hand magic tricks for the kids and said sometimes the kids come in more for the magic than for the frozen yogurt.

"We have a database of customers with their favorite flavors saved, and we call them when a flavor comes available, because we have rotational flavors like, say, blueberry cheesecake or turtle, or something that's a flavor we don't run every day," Sanders explained. "And when we have it, we'll call and let customers know, so that's one more special thing that we do for our customer base."

Fundraising is also big at Sanders' store — just one more aspect that sets his unit apart from the competition. He focuses on marketing in-house and fast, accurate service. And his double drive-thru helps when the business gets busy in the summers, especially between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

"We could have 12 cars in the line, and we could have 20 people inside," Sanders said. "If we had no drive-thru, probably 11 of the 12 cars in the drive-thru would drive off because there wouldn't be a place to park, or they just wouldn't want to get in the line. So, we're able to create two lines just like any quick-service restaurant."

Sanders said TCBY's quality has helped it last when other frozen yogurt brands have disappeared. Corporate provides plenty of support for its franchisees, even through supply chain challenges, which, Sanders added, have been an issue since COVID.

For instance, he's had trouble sourcing no-sugar-added chocolate chunks, but said the science has gotten better in better-for-you treats. The flavor and texture of no-sugar-added products have improved over the years. Many customers don't realize that all of TCBY's hand-scooped product is froyo.

"It's in the tubs like ice cream, and [customers] just think that it's ice cream," Sanders said. "And I have to explain to people every day, 'No, this is frozen yogurt as well,' and most people are really surprised that it's frozen yogurt, because it tastes so good."

The dessert industry has become crowded with mini cakes, cookies, ice cream, frozen yogurt and cobblers. Sanders said TCBY's quality, its friendly service, value and innovation help keep it top of mind.

A large waffle cone sign sets Doug Sanders' TCBY franchise apart from others in the area. Photo: TCBY

Employee are the backbone of the franchise

Sanders treats his employees with respect, pays well, and is flexible with scheduling — three moves that aid in recruitment and retention. Proper training helps with consistency — making sure a cone looks the same no matter who makes it.

He owns the franchised Subway sandwich shop next door, and some of the staff members work in both restaurants. Many employees have been referred by other staff members and some were even customers before they started working there. He said he hasn't hired a new staff member in probably a year and a half. His cake decorator has been with him for 32 years and is 85.

"She's been a great asset to the business for a long time," Sanders said. "I have other staff members that have been with me for six or seven years. I'm very fortunate with that, but I work hard to keep everybody happy, as much as I can."

One last lesson

Sanders said fledgling operators entering the dessert space should, first and foremost, love to serve others.

"Being able to engage with your community is very important to success, I think," he said. "It's a fun business. It's not necessarily easy, but it's fun to be serving others and treating people to frozen yogurt."

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the Pizzamarketplace.com and QSRweb.com editor for Connect Media. An award-winning journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and, yes, she can tell you where to find the best pizza slices in the country.

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