We Handled It

It’s every kid’s dream to decorate their own frozen yogurt
sandwiches, sample as many flavors and toppings as they want and have their
mother agree to it all (try saying "no" to a child who has just presented you
with a handmade Mother’s Day card). Luckily for my kids, that dream became a
reality when we went to a special Mother’s Day event at the new 16 Handles
store in Chelsea just days before it opened to the public. —

When we first arrived, staff members were there to greet us
and give my son and daughter “I Handled It” Bracelets and balloons in green and
pink (16 Handles trademark colors). The kids were
instructed to pick chocolate or vanilla frozen yogurt sandwiches and then led
to a table where they could coat the edges with fruity pebbles, M&Ms,
Reese’s Pieces and Sprinkles.

While my son was adventurous decorating his sandwiches –
putting all of the different toppings on each one, that wasn’t so much the case
when he went to choose among the 16 soft serve flavors. Rather than try any of the rotating
flavors that change every six days, he went right for his favorites – Cookies
& Cream, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Eruption and Vanilla Sky, and then
straight over to the topping bar where of the 50 toppings, he opted for his
usual mix of fruits with a single blue M&M on top.

By comparison, his little sister was so excited just to
be getting her own yogurt that she agreed to let us put My Greek Honey – the
flavor of the month – in a sample cup (which are always available) for
her to try. She wanted more, but opted for a
topping other than the sour cherry recommended on the machine. (Definitely try
them together though – great combo!)

While all of the stores have a
consistent look, the same flavor of the month, Kosher yogurt and eco-friendly features (biodegradable spoons, eco-friendly cups and recycling bins), with 22 locations in NY, NJ, CT, FL and MD,
there are bound to be some differences. One of the more noticeable is that certain stores have party
rooms. While the one in Chelsea doesn’t,
events can still be held in the location.

As part of the Mother’s Day event, the company
distributed gift bags which included a bunch of discount cards to the Chelsea
store – just for moms. So if you happen
to see me there, be sure to say "hello" so we can compare toppings!

Check out 16 Handles at 16handles.com.