You'll never believe 16 Handles' unusual new frozen yogurt flavor: 'Make them smile'

A frozen yogurt chain announced an unusual addition to its summer flavor lineup.

16 Handles, the New York-based chain with over 30 locations throughout the United States, announced the new limited-time flavor in a press release on June 20.

"The bright yellow soft serve tastes like crisp, salty fries and has real potato French fry pieces mixed in, creating the ultimate sweet and salty combination," the company said.

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With its latest "French Fry" flavor, 16 Handles aimed to do "something shocking" for its customers this summer, CEO Neil Hershman told FOX Business via email.

"This launch is all about bringing people in the door for an experience and making them smile," he said.

While 16 Handles is perhaps better known for more traditional frozen yogurt flavors, the opportunity to poke fun at others was too good to pass up, Hershman said. 

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"The punchline wrote itself when you think about how America's favorite french fry is always accompanied by a 'broken' ice cream machine. We're really experts at operating soft-serve machines in our locations, with 16 flavors that change on an almost-daily basis," he said. 

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Earlier in 2024, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice issued a letter demanding that the seemingly always broken soft-serve ice cream machines at McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants be more easily repaired, FOX Business previously reported. 

Careful work went into creating the flavor, said Hershman. 

"Creating a salty, crispy french fry frozen yogurt flavor we are proud of was no easy job," he said. 

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"This soft serve contains real potato french fries from Idaho, natural coloring and more salt than we've ever put into a frozen yogurt flavor," Hershman continued.

The end result, Hershman said, is "almost like dipping a fresh fry into a vanilla milkshake." 

The flavor will be available at all 16 Handles locations through mid-July, the company said in the press release. 

Meanwhile, 16 Handles is advertising its new flavor in New York City this way: A set of red-and-yellow billboards promoting the new flavor include the taglines, "Sorry, our French fry machine is down" and "I'm handlin' it."

FOX Business reached out to McDonald's for comment. 

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Since 16 Handles opened its first store in Manhattan in 2008, it has grown to more than 30 locations throughout the country. 

In 2022, the chain was sold to Hershman, who was the largest franchiser, FOX Business reported. 

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The brand's menu includes frozen yogurt, ice cream, vegan soft serve, toppings, drinks, and other treats and snacks, according to a media release.