When a frozen yogurt brand talks about competing with pubs, it is worth paying attention to who it thinks its customers are. Yo-Chi, the Australian self-serve frozen yogurt chain, has confirmed its second UK venue, on Bromell’s Road in Clapham, and it is positioning the site as an alcohol-free place to meet rather than a dessert stop.
The brand says it will pitch Clapham as a social alternative to the area’s bars and pubs, aiming for trade across the whole day, from post-run catch-ups on Clapham Common to first dates and family visits. That is a deliberate bet on people who want somewhere to go in the evening that is not built around a drink, a shift FEAST has touched on in our look at cutting back on alcohol.
Why Clapham, and why now
The announcement comes four months after Yo-Chi’s UK and European debut on Notting Hill Gate in August. That opening drew queues of more than five and a half hours on the first day, with people travelling from across the UK and Ireland, and the site has since served more than 100,000 bowls. Signature Tart has been the most popular choice with British customers.
Long opening queues are a familiar sight when overseas brands arrive in London. We saw the same thing when Heytea opened its first UK lab and the queue hit three hours. The harder test is what happens once the novelty fades, which is why the choice of a second site matters more than the first.
Yo-Chi says Clapham was picked for its large Australian community, strong local demand for the brand and its mix of young professionals and families. Oliver Allis, co-owner and chief brand officer, said: “Notting Hill has exceeded every expectation we had for the UK, and it’s given us real confidence in how British consumers have taken to the format. Clapham has been on our list from day one. It has a huge Australian community and a strong all-day social scene.”
What diners will find
The 1,850 sq ft venue will seat 60 inside and a further 30 outside. The interior follows the brand’s playful look, with natural materials and warm lighting, a bespoke mural by artist Coco Thomas, a mirrored feature wall and a DJ booth under Yo-Chi’s signature disco ball.
The format is self-serve and pay by weight. Guests choose from ten frozen yogurt flavours and real açaí, then move on to a topping station with more than 30 ingredients, from daily-cut fresh fruit to the brand’s choc chunk cookie cake and mini mochi. Yo-Chi says each flavour is made with real Australian cows’ milk rather than powder and contains live probiotics, with dairy-free, vegan-friendly, gluten-friendly and nut-free options. Its “Environmental Honesty” pillar champions reusables and tackles plastic use and littering across its Australian and UK venues.
The bigger picture
Yo-Chi was founded in Melbourne in 2012 and has grown from four venues in 2020 to more than 82 across Australia, with international sites in Singapore, the US and Thailand. Two London sites is a modest start by comparison, but the brand has said it plans to keep expanding across the UK. If Clapham works as an evening venue as well as an afternoon treat, the more interesting competition for Yo-Chi may be the high street bar rather than other dessert shops.
Yo-Chi Clapham will open later this year at 40-48 Bromell’s Road, London SW4 0BG. Details and image via Yo-Chi.