Freeze Fame How this year's No. 1 franchise, Yogen Fruz, is getting its just desserts.

There couldn't be a better success story. At ages 19 and 20, Michael and Aaron Serruya wanted to purchase a franchise, but no company would take a chance on them. So instead, they came up with an original frozen yogurt concept called Yogen Früz and opened their first store in 1986 in Toronto; their younger brother, Simon, joined the team in 1989. Thirteen years after opening, Yogen Früz is the world's largest franchisor of frozen dessert outlets, with 4,799 locations in 82 countries, and tops this year's Franchise 500®.

Employing a philosophy of never incurring debt, Yogen Früz has expanded tremendously by co-branding with Pizza Hut Canada, using master franchisors throughout the world, and scooping up several U.S. companies in acquisitions, including Bresler's Ice Cream; I Can't Believe It's Yogurt (ICBIY); Ice Cream Churn; and Integrated Brands Inc., parent company of Swensen's Ice Cream, Steve's Homemade Ice Cream and Heidi's Frögen Yozurt.

The Serruya brothers and Yogen Früz mark an interesting chapter in the history of franchising. Instead of letting the corporation take on a life of its own, the Serruyas have used entrepreneurial creativity to sustain their growth and a strong sense of family to foster their franchise network. We spoke with Aaron Serruya about the company's success as well as the brothers' hopes to remain a family-style, entrepreneurial company.