Yogurt Mountain

Yogurt Mountain is a self-serve frozen yogurt and specialty dessert concept that operates primarily in the Southeastern United States. Its stores offer customizable frozen yogurt, soft-serve, sorbet, and related toppings, sold by weight in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. As of May 2020, the company operated more than 40 locations across several states, with a strong presence in Alabama and nearby markets.

The brand was founded in 2009 in Birmingham, Alabama, by David Kahn and Aaron Beam, who opened the first Yogurt Mountain in the Cahaba Village area. The concept caught the early self-serve frozen yogurt wave and scaled quickly in its first years. A major turning point came in 2010, when national book retailer Books-A-Million acquired a majority stake in the company. That transaction gave Yogurt Mountain access to a much larger real estate platform and introduced the model of in-store cafés integrated into bookstores, which has shaped the way the brand grows and operates.

Over the following decade, Yogurt Mountain expanded into multiple Southeastern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and the Carolinas. The chain developed as a mix of stand-alone inline shops in shopping and lifestyle centers and smaller-format units inside Books-A-Million stores. These stores typically fit comfortably into endcaps, mall interiors, and book-and-café buildouts, which makes the concept adaptable to a wide range of center layouts without requiring large parcels. The format centers on a rotating mix of flavors, seasonal offerings, and a topping bar that can be tailored to different markets while keeping the basic store configuration consistent.

As of May 2020, Yogurt Mountain reported more than 40 locations in operation. Since then, public information, including job postings and store listings, points to a stable but modest pipeline that concentrates on maintaining and refining existing co-located units rather than pushing a large national rollout. New activity appears to occur where there is a good fit with the Books-A-Million footprint or in select third-party sites, indicating a more opportunistic approach to site selection. For landlords and developers, this positions Yogurt Mountain as a steady, small-format dessert user that can contribute to traffic and dwell time, especially in centers with entertainment, soft goods, or bookstore anchors.

Yogurt Mountain remains part of the Books-A-Million family of companies and uses shared corporate resources for functions such as human resources, recruiting, and certain administrative support, while continuing to operate as its own consumer brand with its own menu. This structure provides the credibility and backing of an established national retailer along with a compact, flexible dessert concept that fits easily into inline and center-based retail environments. Over roughly the last five years, the brand has evolved from rapid early expansion to a more measured, portfolio-focused strategy, keeping its presence relevant within regional shopping, suburban, and college-oriented markets while selectively adding locations where the co-location model and local trade area support the business.