Owner Reveals Location, Projected Opening For Orange Leaf
Tewksbury frozen yogurt shop will be one of more than a dozen Orange Leaf locations opening in Massachusetts.
One of the owners of the much-anticipated Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt franchise in Tewksbury has provided the answers to where the store will be located and when it projects to open.
Ken Mackey, a Tewksbury native, said the new business will be located at 345 Main St., in the Wamesit Place plaza. He and his partners hope to have the store open for business by mid-to-late July.
"We'd like to get that summertime business if we can," said Mackey.
Mackey owns the franchise, along with Don Coffin of Tewksbury and Jerry Goodwin of Andover. The trio are longtime business partners, having owned the U-Save Car Rental business in Lowell since 1997.
Orange Leaf is an Oklahoma-based business that started in 2008. It was bought up in 2010 and over the past two years has grown from 15 locations to 147 nationwide. Another 88 locations, including Tewksbury, will open in the coming year.
Presently, the only Massachusetts location is in Andover. But more than a dozen more are scheduled to open in 2012.
Mackey admits that he had never even heard of Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt until his daughter began talking about it.
"My daughter is in high school and she kept telling us she was going over to Orange Leaf in Andover," he said. "And then Jerry (Goodwin) asked me if I heard about the place and said, 'no'. So my wife and I went over to check it out and I said, we have to find a way to get in on this.'"
Mackey and his partners flew to Oklahoma last month to meet with Orange Leaf executives and were impressed by the company's business plan.
"A week later we were signing the franchise papers," he said.
The Tewksbury Orange Leaf location will be in unit A1 of Wamesit Place, facing Main Street. The plaza, located at the gateway to Walmart, still has several vacancies but recently added Harrow's Chicken Pies. The plaza is also home to Mattress Giant and Supercuts.
Mackey is hopeful that with the addition of Harrow's and Orange Leaf, other businesses will be encouraged to locate in the plaza.
While the Orange Leaf franchises look very similar, there is one unique design piece.
"Every Orange Leaf store has mural painted on one of the walls inside the store with ties to the town it is in," said Mackey. "I would love to get some ideas from people on what they think should be included in our mural."
Kathleen Brothers
9:40 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
I think the best piece of Tewksbury art that I have seen is in Deli King. It depicts Tewksbury way back years ago. Tewksbury Center, if you will. I love it! Maybe a mural depicting the history of Tewksbury would be nice in your new place. You might want on the other hand to give it to the art department in the high school to come up with something appropriate. It looks like a fun place. Best of luck in your new venture.
Ann Lajoie Matley
10:09 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Long ago before the Deli King came in, it used to be Nolan's. When Deli King was being built, they were trying to recycle all the cinderblocks from that building. Majority of those blocks ended up in my yard as part of a retaining wall.
Lisa
9:40 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Best of luck to you, Ken! My kids and I are looking forward to the opening!
Ken Mackey
10:12 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thank You Lisa we are looking forward to the opening also!
motherof2girls
3:14 pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Best of luck! My daughters are also looking forward to the grand opening! I was just wondering if you were considering offering a dairy free flavor(s) for little ones, like my daughter will dairy allergies? It would be greatly appreciated! :)
D.James
9:47 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Is this going in where pollo loco used to be?
Ken Mackey
9:59 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
No it will be in the actual plaza next to the Verizon store.
Melissa Gleaton
9:57 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Kathleen, getting the art department in the high school involved would be GREAT! When I was in high school, our art classes painted a giant mural in a public space.
Bob Ferrari
10:10 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Best part is that there are NO parking meters to feed, and probably not as long lines as the one in Andover Center !
More comments on Orange Leaf: http://www.tewksburyissues.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=10186
Ann Lajoie Matley
10:11 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
I tried to submit a mural conversation, don't think it made it. I remember when my husbands grandfather, Victor Cluff, used to tell us how he would walk the cows down Rt. 38 into Boston to sell. At that time, Rt. 38 was a dirt road. That would make for a nice mural.
Karen Maloney
11:04 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hey Kenny & Don can't wait to try it will pass the word to Kevin too and all my friends & family
Don Coffin
11:26 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thanks Karen!, we will let you know as we get closer to the opening. Maybe you can work part time for us and it will be like the old deli days! ha ha
Karen Maloney
11:36 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Don ya that would be Awesome and a lot of fun
Julia
11:41 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
So happy you are coming to Tewks! We love the OL in Andover! Delish!
denise
12:15 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Good luck...looks like a great place...cant wait for my family to check it out!
kelly wentworth
12:30 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
VERY excited about this! I can't tell you how many times we've made the trip to Orange Leaf in Andover! And now you'll be right around the corner! Speaking of that, I have a 15 1/2 year old who needs a job this summer . . . where can she fill out an application?
Ken Mackey
12:45 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hi Kelly we will probably start taking applications toward the end of June. If all goes well the store will be almost complete by then so you can just stop in and get a application.
Jack Farley
1:20 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
As a Tewksbury native, growing up in the fifties any kid in town could be found working at one of the many greenhouses. F.I.Carters, Pattens, Gales are a few. Our town was the " Carnation capital of the world". From green leaf to orange leaf. All the best on your opening. Jack Farley
Laurel Zimmerman
3:09 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Congratulations Kenny, I am so excited for you and I can't wait to endulge in the frozen yogurt. I will be visiting very frequent come September when I come home from the lake. Yogurt is my favorite thing and there are not many places around to get it. Brittany is also 15 1/2 and needs a job this summer. I too like others have driven as far as Boston to get my yogurt fix, lol...
Best of luck !!!!!
Love your favorite Aunt Laurel
kck
3:46 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
I will be looking forward to the opening! Best of luck to you. It is so nice to see some new business in town. Jon Ryan's Pub, Job Lot, and now an awesome new fro-yo place just in time for summer :) Of all the new places, I think I can say the fro-yo will be my absolute fave!!!!
Bruce Taylor
3:56 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Since this is the same year that the new high school is opening, it might be cool to have something memorializing the old high school while incorporating a Tewksbury Redmen theme. Or another thought might be around the fact that part of town used to have an awesome drive-in theater and bowling alley. Nostalgic pictures of those would be pretty cool too.
TomH
6:05 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Ken, get a website going! Us customers to be are curious about the various flavors you'll have, etc
Bee Free
7:11 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
how is harrows doing? be sure you can process EBT cards
it will be good to raise the bar in that strip mall
Karyn
8:47 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
As to how Harrow's is doing....I hope "well"....we frequent them regularly and just got one last night which was scrumptious as usual. Orange Leaf would be a nice addition over there and I like Jack's idea of "carnation capital"/Tewksbury historical/nostalgia theme....please not sports themed....we have enough of that.
Sal
9:51 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Bottom Line Good luck and my family and I will be there in earnest.
http://orangeleafyogurt.com/ website done
Lor
10:02 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Great idea! My kids love it!
billvill
6:46 am on Friday, April 27, 2012
For those interested, in depth franchise info:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/orangeleaffrozenyogurt/334008-0.html
Bill & Betty Mackey
10:21 am on Friday, April 27, 2012
Great idea for the three of you. You have shown expertise in your existing business..We wish you the very best in your new adventure with Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. See you there.
Bruce Panilaitis
11:00 am on Friday, April 27, 2012
Great to hear that you are involved with this Ken. Looking forward to your successful opening!
Comment
11:17 am on Friday, April 27, 2012
You HAVE to include the old drive-in within the mural, since you will be located on teh site where the drive in used to be. Just my 2 cents. I have gone to the Orange leaf in Andover and thought it was a great idea. I will still frequent Mac's and Meadowlands, however, Orange Leaf has it's own niche. Thanks for investing in Tewksbury!
Ken Mackey
12:04 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Hey I just wanted to thank everyone for all the positive comments. My partners and I are looking forward to opening day. Love all the mural ideas so far hope they keep coming!
Sara B
12:21 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Yaay Don! What a great addition to Tewksbury, my kids LOVE Orange leaf. I will definitely be a regular there!!!
SD From T-Bury
3:46 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Best of luck to all of you! Very much looking forward to this!
Don Coffin
5:06 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Thank You!
Valerie Borgal
4:52 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
The Big Shawsheen River Race to the sea, The town hall and common with a band concert going on, Memorial Day Parade, Mico Kaufman's sculptures (the Wamesit Indian is nearby), Election Day with signs and people waving, TewMac Airport with planes flying in over the giraffe at the mini golf course across the street. fields on Livingston St., The F.A.R.M., the playground on Livingston St.. You have a great idea to do this mural, I wish you the best in your adventure.
Don Coffin
5:08 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Thanks for the great idea's Valerie
Christian Panasuk
4:42 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2012
definitely, the mural should include the depictions of Mico Kaufman's scultures as they grace our "main street:" Wamesit Indian, Anne Sullivan & Helen Keller in "Water," the circle of children at "Touching Souls," and the Firemen holding down the hose at Muster Park. Would be great to see in a mural...Art + Art = yummy yogurt!
Fallon Family
8:11 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
An Orange Leaf in Tewksbury would be awesome!!! The mural should include the 9/11 memorial next to the library, the statue of the firemen holding the hose, and the NEW tewksbury memorial high school, but since Tewksbury is so historic, you should also include the historical parts of Tewksbury as well
MLM
11:29 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Don't forget Carnations- Years ago we were called the Capital of the World for Carnations !! Also General Ames & his Castle, Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan, Tew- Mac Airport , and the Pike House, just to name a few ...You can also find additional information and ideas at www.tewksburyhistoricalsociety.org. Wishing you success in your new business venture.