George Calombaris has expanded his restaurant group Made Establishment with the acquisition of Yo-Chi.
The Melbourne-based frozen yoghurt brand was launched in 2013, and has since opened four stores in Carlton, Hawthorn, Balaclava, and Malvern.
“All credit to the previous owners for creating an incredible brand that’s stood up to the test of time,” Calombaris told Broadsheet.
“It’s real produce at Yo-Chi, and there’s a care-factor there.”
The Greek Cypriot Australian celebrity chef and MasterChef judge said that aside from the quality and locally sourced ingredients used by Yo-Chi, that yoghurt is essentially “synonymous with all things Greek” and so the purchase made sense.
The group is taking over the operation of the four stores immediately, and is also planning on introducing the product to its Jimmy Grants souvlaki bars, with standalone yoghurt bars in select locations, while adding it to the dessert menu at others.
“For me, the purchase was about the incredible synergy between Yo-Chi and Jimmy Grants,” Calombaris said.
“People are going to be able to come, grab a Mr Papadopoulos and go over to a little bit of frozen yoghurt.”
Meanwhile, aside from keeping customer’s favourite offerings, Calombaris has plans to develop and expand the frozen yoghurt selection.
This is the first established business Made Establishment has acquired, and it joins their brands Jimmy Grants, Gazi, Hellenic Republic, and The Press Club. Boasting 450 staff, the group has plans to further expand by the middle of 2018 to over 700 staff, and to be operating over 50 venues across Australia and abroad in the next five years.
“We want to be a global powerhouse of Greek-Aussie hospitality,” said Calombaris.