Froyo with a ’tini twist: Entrepreneur collaboration serves alcoholic frozen yogurt in KC

August 23, 2023  |  Cienna Romines

Isaac Collins, Yogurtini, and James Thomas, Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri, at Yogurtini's Overland Park store; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Kansas City is excited by the new flavor combinations popping up as two entrepreneurs give customers a taste of collaboration, said Isaac Collins, teasing a line of alcoholic frozen yogurt that’s already hitting cups in the metro.

James Thomas, Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri, and Isaac Collins, Yogurtini

Through a partnership with KC-based Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri, Collins’ Yogurtini locations have begun a series of happy hour events to showcase the new offering — allowing people throughout the metro an opportunity to sample, whether they’re in the Northland, Plaza area or South Johnson County.

“Each time we’ve done this, I’ve had a lot of people text me saying ‘I’m rooting you guys on,’” said Collins, the owner of multiple Yogurtini stores across the city. “Every time we post something on Instagram, I get a ton of messages like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want this!’ There’s a lot of excitement and curiosity.”

“They’re curious because it’s like ice cream, it’s like a daiquiri, it’s alcoholic,” added James Thomas, owner of Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri. “With an interesting concept like this, everyone wants to try it out — to see what it really tastes like.”

Collins is a veteran entrepreneur who has owned eight businesses in the past 11 years. In addition to Yogurtini, he currently operates a business coaching venture and a yoga business.

From the archives: Don’t let ‘buy local’ be a fad; we’re investing it all in our businesses, says serial entrepreneur

Recently, he’d been wanting to expand his Yogurtini business by incorporating alcohol, he said. 

“One thing that was very obvious by our name ‘Yogurtini’ is people think the ‘tini’ part is mixed with some sort of alcohol, like a martini or something like that,” Collins explained. “Unfortunately we had to say no. ” 

Until now. 

“Obviously our brand is largely for kids,” Collins continued, “but what if we could give adults their favorite flavor with that alcohol component as well?”

That’s where fellow entrepreneur Thomas came in.

Collins and Thomas met at an event earlier this year, and discovered a shared passion to create the perfect combination of alcohol and froyo. 

James Thomas, Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri; photo by Cienna Romines

Thomas has owned Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri for just over a year, and also was looking to expand his business.

RELATED: Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri among PHKC prize winners; It’s amazing when someone understands your vision, founder says 

“First we had to test to see how much of my product and his product could go together to create that perfect combination,” Thomas said in mid-August.

Their solution: just the right amount of Brain Freeze daiquiri — available in two flavors — atop a cup of Yogurtini frozen yogurt; allowing the brand to preserve options for children and adults alike.

Thomas and Collins plan to co-partner on pop-up events and other vendor opportunities this summer and fall. Customers can get their favorite frozen yogurtini, a daiquiri, or a mixture of the two, the duo said.

Startland News reporter Nikki Overfelt Chifalu contributed to this report.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2023 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        This hard swap plays easy: How one KC producer juggles community, breaking the club music cookie cutter

        By Tommy Felts | October 6, 2023

        Tyler Jordan’s new spin on DJing: amplify fellow artists and unite people through music, he shared. Jordan — who produces electronic music and DJs under the name Oblivinatti (a mashup of his favorite video game growing up, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, and his interest in conspiracy theories) — is evolving his sound production business Vibration…

        Art and technology too often butt heads, festival planners say; River Market event paints a reality where they coexist

        By Tommy Felts | October 6, 2023

        The River Market Art Festival is back after a 20-year hiatus — with a nod to the past and an eye toward the future, shared The AI Hub’s Taylor Burris and James Spikes, startup founders who are hosting the event in partnership with the River Market Community Association. The revival of the art festival —…

        PayIt co-founder: No one-size-fits-all formula for scaling one of KC biggest startup ideas 

        By Tommy Felts | October 5, 2023

        Mike Plunkett’s journey with PayIt came to an early, but critical crossroads when a wealthy entrepreneur offered half-million dollars to support the Kansas City-built govtech venture, he recalled. The catch: this investor insisted on imposing control and veto power as they committed more funds. Despite being low on funds, the PayIt team — led by…

        Pure Pitch Rally reveals 2023 competitors: Meet 8 founders redefining the future of tech

        By Tommy Felts | October 4, 2023

        One of KC’s most-anticipated startup events is set to tease a room full of sharks with the innovations of tomorrow — being built in Kansas City today, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing the eight competitors set for the Oct. 23 Pure Pitch Rally stage. The one-of-a-kind event helps startups grow by offering nondilutive spot-cash funding to…