Mentoring at Menchie’s

When looking to start a new business venture, Shawna Meyer-Ravelli had a few simple rules. The franchise needed to be community oriented, give her a chance to mentor, and allow for her family to be involved. Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt checked all three boxes.

Located in the newly established Hazel Dell Marketplace, the week-long grand opening starts at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 19.

“I looked at probably 5 different chains, and what really drew me to Menchie’s was the community outreach,” Meyer-Ravellie said. “The programs, the brand, what they are trying to do aligned with me as a mom as well as someone who works full time. The business model, the personal perspective, and it’s something that I can include my family.”

The fact that it offers cool treats doesn’t hurt either. Featuring classic yogurt flavors like chocolate and vanilla, as well as a few more exotic tastes, Menchie’s allows customers to start with a base of frozen yogurt, then pile on the toppings. Fresh fruit, chopped up candy bars, and other sweets are ready to be sprinkled on top.

The final step is to cover it all with the sauce of your choice, including chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter. In addition to the self-serve frozen yogurt, Menchie’s also offers customizable cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

While filling the bellies of those looking for a tasty dessert, Meyer-Ravelli also believes in filling the minds and hearts of Clark County youth. A reading club, donations to the American Heart Association, and school fundraisers are a few ways Menchie’s gives back to the community. The Hazel Dell Menchie’s is also partnering with the Clark County Food Bank by donating 20% of the proceeds from the grand-opening week.

Even though the Hazel Dell Menchie’s is just opening, being community-minded has been a passion for Meyer-Ravelli for some time.

“I love volunteering and giving back to the community,” Meyer-Ravelli said. “I do girls scouts, I volunteer at my kids’ school, doing Junior Achievement. I love being involved with my kids, but also things that help drive girls.”

As a Director of the Storage Builders Ecosystem at Intel, STEM education for girls is important to Meyer-Ravelli, but she is just as driven to find tomorrow’s leaders in the field.

“I’ve been a director and senior director in tech for 20 years,” Meyer-Ravelli said. “Training leaders is what we need, we don’t need managers. I want to help foster the understanding between managing and leading – they are two very different things.”
Meyer-Ravelli is giving the younger generation a chance to learn the difference.

“I have a lot of first time workers,” Meyer-Ravelli said. “It’s a great place for them to learn about what it takes to succeed. Everyone thinks, ‘how hard can it be?’ But at Menchie’s, we greet you, we keep it clean, offer coloring and stickers – we want a genuine connection. There are a lot of details – you have to stay on top of everything. If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

Teaching leadership, cash flow management, and understanding the product inside and out are just a few of the ways Meyer-Ravelli is mentoring at Menchie’s. From learning how the yogurt is made to understanding the importance of using fresh, local ingredients – Meyer-Ravelli’s staff know their stuff.

“During the soft opening, I’ve watched people come in,” Meyer-Ravelli said. “People have thought we’re like everyone else. But we know where our products are coming from. We know about the cultures in the yogurt, and we taste all of our products. You really need to know (about the yogurt) to talk about it.”

Who knew frozen yogurt could be so much work? With cool, custom creations that you and your family create, and a side of community involvement, it’s well worth it.

The original Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt opened in Southern California 10 years ago and began franchising a year later. There are more than 500 stores around the world. This is the second Clark County location.