Alums take fro-yo abroad

When 2005 College graduate Guillermo Marx and 2007 Wharton graduate Ilana Messing met last December, the streets of Buenos Aires were frozen yogurt-free.

But less than 10 months later, they opened the city’s first frozen yogurt store, Top It.

With two flavors and 22 toppings, Top It was an immediate hit with Argentines, who eat yogurt for breakfast, lunch, and often as a mid-afternoon snack, according to Marx, who called it a “diet staple.”

Since its launch this year, Top It has received franchise requests from around the country, “people are asking us to expand the brand and put a store in the different neighborhoods around Buenos Aires,” Messing wrote in an e-mail.

Although the two owners did not know each other while at Penn, both have family in Argentina and were working on separate projects in Buenos Aires. They were introduced by a mutual friend and fellow Penn alumnus and joined forces right away.

“We had seen the product take off around the world and with some market analysis, we knew that frozen yogurt would be a success in Argentina,” Marx wrote in an e-mail.

Despite being image-conscious, the Porteños, or Buenos Aires residents, love ice cream.

“Argentines are very health conscious but love their sweets and so this is the perfect combination,” College junior Erica Cafritz wrote in an e-mail. Cafriz frequented the store during her semester abroad in Buenos Aires.

Marx and Messing learned that starting a business in a foreign country can be challenging. They faced the unique laws and regulations of the Argentine government, as well as the cultural differences, which “can have large and costly implications,” according to Messing.

Both owners credit their success to their time at Penn.

“Penn taught me that I can quickly become an expert on anything I set my mind on learning — whether it is the Argentine health code, the perfect recipe for frozen yogurt, or the best way to market a product,” wrote Marx, who double-majored in Economics and History at Penn.

Messing cited her Finance concentration in Wharton and the Penn-Wharton Club of Argentina for helping her overcome the challenges of starting a business.

“Most of our investors are Penn alums, and had it not been for Penn we wouldn’t be working on this project together!” Messing wrote.

Two new frozen yogurt stores have opened since Top It’s launch, competition the owners expected. Top It’s unique locale and high quality products were strategically constructed to keep the brand strong. “The store is totally original, and all the elements were designed for Top It,” Messing wrote.

College junior Madeleine Macks — who is studying abroad in Buenos Aires — stops into the store daily, whether to eat frozen yogurt or sunbathe on beach chairs in front of the store.

“Top It is in the middle of one of the trendiest neighborhoods in BA with great shopping and restaurants so it attracts a young, fun crowd,” Macks wrote in an e-mail.

Messing and Marx hope to expand the brand and “remain a market leader in terms of quality” by opening more stores, according to Marx.

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