Cocoberry

Cocoberry: India's own frozen dessert carnival

"We foster a sweet and vibrant workplace for our creative minds"- Laksh Yadav, CEO, Cocoberry

It's all gravy here. Your senses go bananas when you step into the Kiosk. Struggling with the feeling of confusion and uncertainty as all the flavors tantalize one's palate, you make your order. You devour a small scoop and there is already a diverse explosion of taste in your mouth- fresh fruits, berry-infused flavors, chocolate sprinkles, Oreo cookies, nuts and what not? These are the vibes served at country's first and leading frozen yogurt brand, Cocoberry; a guilt-free sweet paradise for health-conscious dessert wanderers. In 2009, our desi Dahi got westernized into yogurt and soon became the flavor of the season with the launch of Cocoberry. There is definitely something that makes half of the customers to visit the brand's kiosks and enjoy the love of Cocoberry- making it an imperishable part of their daily diet. So, what about working with such a colorful brand? The perks and benefits included with the package can make anyone's jaw drop to the floor! How exciting could it be to have a weekend vibe by working here every day?

After scraping and scouring, I interviewed Laksh Yadav, the young mind who took over the brand last year and is successfully spearheading the journey of Cocoberry. It's not every day that you meet people like him who nurture a clear thought process. Fortune smiled on him early and he struck gold at the initial stage of his entrepreneurial venture. Master of his own choice, he owns them with pride and loves to live a life controlled by no one but himself. Below are the excerpts from a savory conversation on Cocoberry, how he's talking the brand to next level and what his secret formula is that makes Cocoberry a fun place to work at:

Laksh, thanks for your time from the suitcase of your busy schedule!! I am keen to know the secret ingredient behind your success in attaining comprehensive exposure in establishing as well as stabilizing new business units.

It has been quite an adventure to date! Entrepreneurship is always tough and challenging on all fronts, but once you navigate into new terrain, you start enjoying the journey.  I am still learning and growing with the lessons I have picked up at every step. And as I fulfil my duties here, my responsibilities encompass, managing Cocoberry to reach new heights and take sound care of every person associated with us. My profound tenure as an entrepreneur has bestowed me with critical business understanding and has fine-tuned me to what I am today.

What inspired you to takeover Cocoberry?

Frozen yogurts are loving the Indian market like never before. This trend has grown leaps and bounds, and health conscious Indians with a sweet tooth are moving forward to frozen desert over the not-so-healthy, traditional desserts. A new concept to the Indian market, frozen yogurt stores huge potential to soar up as more and more population wants to have a guilt-free dessert without compromising on taste. And through all these years, Cocoberry has fostered its flavor and quality to the nth degree. A sea of opportunity was in front of my eyes and I was ready to dive in. Why have a scoop, when you can have the whole pie? And the rest is history! Today my journey as a CEO at Cocoberry has been sailing smoothly.

What does Cocoberry do to keep its menu new and exciting?

Since our inception, we have always focused on our key ingredient- Quality. With our every scoop, we promise to make you taste the same quality with a unique brand experience. We have been successfully waving the fresh food flag since 2009. Our commitment to quality, functionality and customer experience all converge to create a strong brand that consumers trust. This might sound crazy but I believe Cocoberry has a mind of its own. It tells us what to do and we create it! It has a separate identity and knows exactly what its customers want more than I do. So we're always up to date with our customers' needs and wants. The beauty is that our customers request for new and exciting flavors and we create it for them. We proud ourselves being the reason behind 2.2 million smiles- the largest fan base worldwide for any frozen yogurt brand.

We promise to make your every bite feel like a new experience.

What's your secret to keeping customers coming in?

If I tell u then it wouldn't be a secret anymore, Haha! We humans are by nature curious. At Cocoberry, we've created our product in such a way that our customers get a fresh and unique experience with every bite. Each bite will take you to a new adventure – you don't know what's coming next.

What does it take for someone to be successful here?

We quest for creative and smart minds. One should be flexible, nimble, quick decision maker and above all- a happy and fine human being. We want to nestle a team that is fundamentally rooted and recognized as the golden standard in F&B Industry.

How would you characterize the company's overall management style?

My overall company's management style is analogous to a general managing his soldiers that strive towards a common goal. We allow room for flexibility and automation under a constrained environment that gives birth to new insights and creative ideas.

How are employees recognized for their efforts?

Our employees are treated just the way soldiers are treated when preparing for battle. We train and groom them so they can function at an optimum level and be as efficient as possible. I see my employees as a gun, however I'm the trigger. I'm usually behind the scenes making sure everything runs smoothly but at the end of the day, they're running the show.

What are your next moves?

I want to establish Cocoberry as a force to be reckoned with. We have created a product that speaks for itself. When one says coffee, Starbucks comes to mind. Similarly, when you say frozen yogurt, I want the whole world to think Cocoberry. There is no fun playing small and the reason I want to expand worldwide is because I am very confident in what Cocoberry has to offer. To put it simply – I want Cocoberry to dance in millions of people's mouth and flirt around with their taste buds.

We want to revolutionize the frozen yogurt industry. We know everybody loves ice cream, and overlook and blink over the fact that it's not a healthiest thing. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. So Cocoberry can be framed as a healthy ice cream brand when really all we are doing is creating some dangerously delicious frozen yogurt. We want our presence felt and spread like a virus PAN India and other countries like the GCC region, and the UK. We wish to expand without compromising on our commitment of delivering quality in every scoop.

What's your favorite Cocoberry flavor?

I think it's not a fair question. Honestly, asking about my favorite Cocoberry flavor is same as asking me who I love more – Mom or Dad? Every flavor is close to my heart and sweet tooth as well!

Who do you look to for guidance and mentorship in the business?

My father has been my backbone throughout my journey. His support and positivity has been my guiding light in achieving these landmarks.

A piece of advice you want to share with the young entrepreneurs?

Be creative, take risks and always stay committed to your passion.