Alan and Enid Rutstein met as teenagers outside of Boston while working at a Jewish supermarket. He was the summer manager, and she worked the soft-serve machine. Neither thought their chance meeting that summer, or soft-serve, would become their livelihood nearly three decades later.
“We’ve really come full circle,” Enid says of the decision she and now husband, Alan, made to become franchisees in the San Diego area of a frozen yogurt chain based in Los Angeles but with locations nationwide. (The chain was started by Jewish couple Adam and Danna Caldwell and was named after the nickname a confused Adam gave to Danna when they first started dating; he thought it meant “blessing,” but she corrected him. The name, however, stuck.)
A whirlwind trip, during which the Rutsteins sampled 50 different yogurts from San Diego to Los Angeles in an effort to select the franchise in which they were interested, ended with Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt. The Rutsteins opened two new locations in Carlsbad and San Marcos nearly two months apart from each other in late 2010.
“The minute we walked into our very first Menchie’s in Los Angeles, we knew we were home,” Enid says. “The quality of the yogurt, the excitement, the colors — everything about Menchie’s really fit the profile of everything we wanted to do [including community involvement].”
To date, the Rutsteins’ two Menchie’s locations have already held fundraisers for the San Diego Boys and Girls clubs in their respective neighborhoods, donating all of the profits during a designated time period to the after-school program for kids. Says Enid, community involvement is “at the forefront” of what she and Alan wish to do by opening their yogurt shops.
“We’ve had rabbis contact us to have holiday celebrations here, women’s groups from the synagogues have held meetings here, and it’s really just a gathering place for the community.”
All yogurts and sorbets at Menchie’s are kosher, as are many of their toppings. Non-fat, low-carb, dairy free and gluten-free offerings are also available with available flavors rotating between more than 100 different varieties about every two weeks. In a self-serve style, patrons may pick their yogurt flavor (more than one, if they’re in the mood) and add toppings as they desire. Cups are then weighed, and patrons are charged per ounce.
An on-site pastry chef makes waffle bowls and waffle cones fresh daily, as well as frozen yogurt pies to order, with yogurt, toppings and crust made to order.
“Our most popular flavors are vanilla and chocolate,” Alan says, “but cake batter, pumpkin, York Peppermint Patty, root beer float, dulce de leche and our sweet coconut with bits of real coconut are also real favorites.”
Each of these fantastic flavors can be topped with cereal (Enid insists they carry pretty much any kind imaginable), candy, four kinds of nuts, mini truffles, cookie dough, hot fudge, brownies and cheesecake bites — to start. There are so many options at Menchie’s that more than one trip is necessary to sample a variety.
“Its not just the yogurt, it’s the experience,” Enid says, citing her reason for bringing Menchie’s to San Diego. “We have wonderful service, and every single person is welcomed here. People feel comfortable and can relax. It’s just a place where we make you smile.”
Who’s ready to go right now?
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Carlsbad-Paseo Carlsbad
5617 Paseo Del Norte, Suite 120
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 929-1000
San Marcos Grand Plaza
133 S. Las Posas Rd., Suite 144
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 798-8000
