In 2011, Ouriel Hodara and Emmanuel Tedesco launched their first Yogurt Factory store, after having recently graduated from HEC. Today, they are at the head of the number 1 yogurt ice cream brand in France. This Monday, August 1, at 9:10 p.m., on M6, they will be at the heart of the show Patron Incognito. Zoom on their journey!
Ouriel Hodara and Emmanuel Tedesco took on the new challenge of meeting Yogurt Factory employees thanks to the show Patron Incognito. The number one yogurt ice cream brand is present everywhere in France, from north to south, including the capital. Today, it has 65 stores and employs 300 people. Their strong point? Make sure to sell fun, healthy products, with a touch of deliciousness and good humor.
This concept of frozen yogurt initially saw the light of day in the United States, a country where yogurt ice cream was a big hit. For the first time in the history of the Patron incognito show, two bosses are the main guests and will discover behind the scenes how their businesses operate in the South-West and Le Havre.
The journey of Emmanuel Tedesco, co-founder Yogurt Factory, before Patron Incognito
Emmanuel Tedesco joined HEC in 2007, after two years of preparatory class. He completed a Master of Science (MSc) in marketing. He was also greatly involved in the school’s community life and held the position of vice-president of the school’s oenology association, Grand Cru, and was a member of the junior enterprise, HEC Junior Conseil.
Before launching his own project in 2011, he was part of the strategy and development department of Clear Channel France for six months. Following this experience, he joined Inter Parfum as Product Manager for seven months.
Emmanuel Tedesco comes from an entrepreneurial family. It was therefore obvious to him that a career in finance or consulting was not for him. He explains, speaking of his partner and him: “It quickly became clear to both of us that we did not want to join a consulting or mergers and acquisitions firm, like many of our classmates at HEC. We both had the desire to undertake and take control of our destiny. We discovered frozen yogurt during our gap year abroad and we really liked the product. »
Today, Emmanuel Tedesco is at the head of Yogurt Factory, one of the fastest growing companies in France, according to Echos de la Croissance, and one of the 1,000 fastest growing companies in Europe according to the Financial Times.
The story ofOuriel Hodara, the other co-founder Yogurt Factory
Ouriel Hodara graduated from HEC Paris in 2012. He met his partner, Emmanuel Tedesco, during their experience at the school’s Junior Enterprise. They then both shared their desire to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure. They discovered the concept of frozen yogurt in the United States during their gap year.
Ouriel Hodara worked as a Junior Analyst within Galileo and held the position of Marketing Coordinator at Microsoft, a position he held for only 10 months before devoting himself to his own project, that of launching a 0% Frozen Yogurt brand with unlimited filling: Yogurt Factory.
“We have decided to differentiate ourselves from most of the players in this market who highlight the dietary and healthy side of frozen yogurt compared to ice cream. At the house of Yogurt Factorywe want to offer healthy products, while being delicious and fun, with a wide variety of toppings to add to your 0% yogurt,”explains the co-founder to Digitalizations. Their primary objective is “to make people smile and offer a moment of pleasure. »
Yogurt Factory: Where will the Patron Incognito immersions take place?
The duo of entrepreneurs will travel to the South-West to Soulac-sur-Mer, to a recently opened store. In the show Patron Incognito, Ouriel Hodara will try to pass himself off as David, a seasonal worker who comes to be trained at this Yogurt Factory point of sale, by Brian, 24 years old, assistant to the store manager with a strong character, who will be very harsh with his intern.
The second immersion will take place in Le Havre. The two founders of Yogurt Factory will discover how a particular point of sale works: the chain’s one and only food truck. The last immersion of Patron Incognito will take place in Albi, in a store opened only two months ago. The objective of this new point of sale is to make itself known and impose its presence in the face of tough competition.
Yogurt Factory: Challenges & development
Yogurt Factory is the French leader in the frozen yogurt market in France. The company has more than 65 points of sale and aims to pass the 100 units mark. It is present in Belgium and Luxembourg. The concept of Emmanuel Tedesco and Ouriel Hodara is simple. They took one of the great classics of our everyday diet, yogurt, and rejuvenated it, refreshed it, to make yogurt ice cream. The specificity of this concept? 0% fat with a 100% delicious recipe to which each person has the right to add toppings as they wish. On the menu: fresh fruit, cereals, coulis or even biscuits of all kinds. Their yogurt ice cream was voted best ice cream of the year 2020 and 2021.
Yogurt Factory, however, faces a large number of challenges, given that the frozen yogurt market remains very complicated in France. No brand has yet managed to establish itself on the market. Major foreign brands did not last long in the territory. The human issue is also fundamental to the extent that success depends on the quality of the welcome and the teams on the ground, in a sector where turnover is high. This is why Emmanuel Tedesco and Ouriel Houdara decided to participate in Patron Incognito.
Another challenge facing the company is real estate. It is important to find strategic locations with lots of traffic. Finally, as the product is seasonal (in the city center), it is crucial to ensure good cash flow management.
