JANETTE ZACHARIAS, CO-OWNER OF GOJI'S NEIGHBOURHOOD TREATERY. IMAGE: INDA INTIAR/HUDDLE
A chain of frozen yogurt stores is shuttering two locations in New Brunswick but is still forging forward in three maritime provinces.
Janette Zacharias, co-owner and co-founder of Goji’s Neighbourhood Treatery, confirmed that Goji’s locations in Dieppe and Fredericton have permanently closed.
Zacharias didn’t tell Huddle why the two locations closed and said the franchise’s owner was unavailable for comment.
The closures come almost a year after the Goji’s location in Saint John, in the East Point shopping center, closed after seven years in operation.
Zacharias said that the Goji’s locations in Moncton and Shediac remain open. The chain opened both locations in 2013.
Zacharias says she is optimistic in spite of the closures. She noted she’s hoping this summer will bring in more business than the past two when Covid-19 hampered travel and spending.
This year marks the chain’s 10-year anniversary and June 10 marked the Moncton location’s 10-year anniversary. Zacharias plans to celebrate the milestone later this year.
This July, Goji’s also plans to host a $2 ice cream event in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation.
“All things considered, Goji’s has beaten the odds,” Zacharias said. She said startups that make it to and past the decade-mark are a rarity in the food and hospitality industry.
“We’re pretty proud of that,” she added.
In addition to the two locations remaining in New Brunswick, Goji’s has franchises in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The chain also opened a kiosk at Moncton’s Avenir Center in 2018.
In 2021, the chain opened a “Goji’s Scoopery” ice cream stand in Moncton, on St. George Boulevard. It’s a seasonal offering similar to the Goji’s Express it opened on Grand Manan Island, in 2019.
Goji’s was launched in 2011 by Zacharias and her husband Jeff, during a period of explosive growth and popularity of frozen yogurt. Zacharias rebranded Goji’s Frozen Yogurt to Goji’s Treatery in 2018, swapping the bolder colours Goji’s is known for warm tones and an expanded menu that includes hard-scoop ice cream and assorted non-frozen treats.
“The purpose of the rebranding was to move away from the strong identity with yogurt – having said that, 80 percent of what we serve on our self-serve wall is yogurt,” Zacharias said.
Looking forward, Zacharias said she’s looking forward to further economic recovery but expects another “couple of tough years” before economic conditions become favourable again.
“I’m focusing on the day-to-day in our business. It’s great to see that businesses in the food and beverage sector got government assistance and loans but many have been living hand-to-mouth,” she said.
“I have an eye to the future for sure. We just want to focus on the positive and are excited about having a normal summer.”
Sam Macdonald is a Reporter for Huddle Today, a content-sharing partner of Acadia Broadcasting.
