Golden Spoon of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., which touts itself the “ice cream lover’s frozen yogurt,” opened one store in St. George in 2007. It plans to open a second Utah store in the Provo-Orem area by mid-summer, plus three more statewide by year-end, said Roger Clawson, chief executive of Golden Spoon Franchising Inc.

“There’s a significant amount of cross-pollination between students that attend UVU and BYU who are also from California, Las Vegas and Arizona, where they are already familiar with the brand,” he said.

“Our product tastes like premium soft-serve Häagen-Dazs ice cream but without the fat and calories. We custom manufacture all our flavors,” said Clawson, a Farmington native and Southern Utah University graduate.

Affordability is another selling point, he said. “Our product typically costs 30 percent to 50 percent below the national competitor’s prices.” Golden Spoon’s smallest serving at 4 ounces costs less than $2, while its biggest serving, 32 ounces, costs around $6, he said.

The company is looking for up to three Utah franchisees that are able to open between five and 10 stores each along the Wasatch Front. Up to seven of a total of 30-plus stores will be located in Utah County, and each store will hire between 10 and 15 workers. Interested franchisees can apply at goldenspoonfranchising.com.

Founded in 1980 by Jeff Barnes, Golden Spoon opened its first Utah store in Salt Lake City in 1986 and had as many as 17 stores in partnership with Smith’s Food & Drug stores by 1992 before internal management issues developed, forcing a split in ownership, Clawson said.

Golden Spoon left the Utah market in 1993, and the remaining Utah stores were rebranded as Golden Swirl. These stores changed hands several times over the past 16 years and the last one in Cottonwood Mall closed in 2005.

Barnes, meanwhile, took ownership of the stores in Southern California, and its growth skyrocketed last year when the chain expanded its franchise operations into Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tokyo.

Companywide, Golden Spoon has 102 existing stores (including six in Japan) and plans to have an additional 500 stores under contract by the end of the year.

Despite the ongoing recession and tight credit environment, Clawson says many of his franchisees are still able to get financing for their expansion.

“While credit continues to be a challenge, many of our multi-unit franchisees are still able to get financing from alternative private sources and banks,” he said. That’s true of those that have a “proven track record with operating franchises including Golden Spoon’s, and have prior experience with getting bank financing,” Clawson said.