This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 4, Issue 1 (Winter 2014)

If UConn alumni Dennis ’04 and William Bok ’08 (CLAS) had listened to popular opinion, they never would have launched their now wildly successful FroyoWorld franchise.

‘”There are other people who are smarter than you… why haven’t they started a self-serve frozen yogurt lounge?”‘ Dennis recalls someone saying. Others simply said, “Good luck,” with a sarcastic laugh.

“But three years later, after countless hours of hard work, we have more than 40 locations, and 30 more planned stores, including our first official international store opening in Australia,” Dennis Bok said. “Hopefully that puts the nay-sayers to rest!”

“When we started, we had a vision—and the vision was not opening a couple stores in and around Connecticut. We are FroyoWorld, with a little emphasis on the world,” he said with a chuckle. “Hopefully soon we’ll be an internationally-recognized brand. Time will tell.”

A first-generation American, whose parents moved to this country from Korea, Dennis said he always imagined himself as an entrepreneur. He was, in fact, so eager to prove himself that he didn’t want to go to college at all.

But his parents, who operated a dry-cleaning business in Branford and had an impeccable work ethic, were “sticklers for education.”

“After being ‘forced’ to go to college, I realized obtaining a higher education is the building block for one’s success,” he said. “With a strong base of knowledge  from higher education institutions, such as UConn, mixed with some analytical reasoning abilities, your options are endless in this huge global market.”

William initially started a self-serve frozen yogurt lounge in San Francisco with his wife’s cousin. A few years later he sold the business and returned to Connecticut. By then both he and Dennis recognized the potential success of a frozen yogurt business on the East Coast and “jumped on it.”

The first FroyoWorld opened in New Haven in August 2010, with the brothers and William’s wife as partners. Today most of FroyoWorld’s stores are located in New York or New England, with another six in Puerto Rico and one in Australia. Each store employs about 15 people.

Perhaps Bok’s favorite store is the one located in Storrs Center, adjacent to UConn. FroyoWorld is one of 29 businesses in the center, which includes a mix of restaurants, shops, offices and homes.

“We believed in UConn and the Leyland Alliance’s vision of a downtown Storrs so much that we signed the lease and paid a deposit almost two years prior to opening our doors at Storrs Center in 2012,’’ Bok said. “It was a coming-home to UConn. To say the least, we loved the location.’’

And at that store, as with others, business is brisk.

“I think the popularity of our business is that it is a nice place to visit,” Dennis said. “People come in with a smile, and they leave with one. The yogurt is delicious and it is a healthy sweet alternative because of its probiotics.”

In the beginning, Bok admits, he ate three or four frozen yogurt treats a day, although lately he has scaled back some. “My preference is original tart flavor, with a little ‘cake batter’ added in,” he said. “And I like the fruit toppings.”

By adding new flavors and toppings, the franchise plans to grow and retain its customer base, he said.

Last summer FroyoWorld had a store opening almost every weekend. “It has been pretty hectic and I don’t see it slowing down soon,” he said. “We’ve added more staff, but we’re working 24/7. It comes with the territory.”

Despite starting the business during an economic downturn, Bok, had few reservations.

“I don’t make any decision based on emotions. I have to have the facts to back it up,” he said. “Everything in life can be a calculated risk. Being educated in accounting at the UConn School of Business has helped me tremendously. Numbers don’t lie.”

Working with his sibling has been “awesome,” said Dennis, the older of the two brothers. “We have many common goals. That’s not to say we haven’t had a few fights. We have. But we’ll always make up and shake hands.”

When asked if there are any celebrities or famous persons he would like to share a frozen yogurt with, Bok is quick to answer.

“I would love to sit down and have a cup of FroyoWorld with President Obama, and talk to him about anything other than politics. That would be nice,” he said.

“We have had a few Boston Celtics and New England Patriots players as patrons in our stores, as well as Miss USA 2012 [Olivia Culpo]. I hope one day Ray Allen casually strolls into a store while I’m there. He’s probably my favorite UConn alumnus of all time!”