Frozen yogurt franchise has new vice presidents of operations and training.
Frozen yogurt and dessert franchise 16 Handles has made a pair of leadership moves.
The New York-based franchise announced that Patti Carr and been named as the company’s new vice president of operations. 16 Handles has also appointed Donna Coupe as its new vice president of training.
According to 16 Handles, the moves arrive after the company achieved record growth in 2025. Last year the brand signed 25 new franchise agreements and opened 8 locations. This includes the debut of 16 Handles in Georgia and Rhode Island along with expansion in Illinois, New York, and Texas.
Carr has more than 40 years of experience driving multi-brand, multi-site franchise performance across brands in QSR and retail. She most recently served as chief operating officer at K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel. Carr also held leadership roles with Mrs. Fields and Krispy Kreme.
At 16 Handles, Carr will lead field operations and franchisee support, with a focus on consistent execution, unit-level profitability, and protecting the premium guest experience as the brand expands.
Coupe brings over 30 years of experience developing training systems and fostering successful franchisees. This includes more than 30 years at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, most recently serving as their vice president of support and training.
In this new role at 16 Handles, Coupe is charged with developing the brand’s training strategy across new store openings and its existing system, strengthening onboarding, operational readiness, and ongoing development.
“Following our strongest growth year to date, investing in best-in-class operational and training leadership is essential to supporting our franchisees and sustaining the momentum we’re seeing nationwide,” said Neil Hershman, CEO of 16 Handles. “Patti and Donna are proven franchise operators who know how to build scalable systems, develop high-performing teams, and protect the guest experience so that every new store opens strong and stays strong.”
Last year, several new locations delivered exceptional early results and broke grand opening day sale records with multiple locations on track to exceed $1 million in revenue in their first 12 months.
Founded in Manhattan’s East Village in 2008, 16 Handles as since expanded to 40 locations.
