Melbourne-founded frozen yoghurt chain Yo-Bar has confirmed it will make its Tasmanian debut in Hobart before Christmas.
Directors Annie and Viv Vavitis told Pulse the outlet will be located in one of the city’s popular shopping centres, though they declined to reveal which one.
“We’ve been scouting locations and are delighted to give Pulse Tasmania the exclusive that we’ll be opening in a favourite shopping centre in Hobart,” they said.
“We’re very selective about where we open a Yo-Bar store, prioritising high-traffic lifestyle and retail destinations.”
“We wanted to make sure we picked an iconic location in Tassie that would get locals very excited.”
The family-owned business launched in Melbourne in 2023 and has since expanded to Adelaide, Brisbane and other locations across Australia.
It now operates 12 stores, with two more set to open in July and further openings planned before the end of 2026.
“We have been eager to make our way to Tasmania as we’re aware of the local demand for frozen yoghurt, so when an opportunity came up earlier this year we jumped at the chance,” the directors said.
Yo-Bar offers a self-serve model where customers build their own frozen yoghurt, acai bowls and fruit cups from more than 60 toppings.
“We’re renowned for our extensive range of toppings, from fresh fruits and wholesome grains, to flowing sauce taps and all the sweets you can dream of, plus house-baked goods crafted by our very own chefs,” Annie and Viv Vavitis said.
The pair said they could not yet confirm an exact opening date but were working to get into the selected location as soon as possible.
The news follows this month’s announcement of Yo-Chi preparing to open its first Tasmanian store in Hobart, nearly two years after a local petition called on the brand to expand to the island.
The chain, which has dozens of stores across Australia, confirmed it is heading to Hobart and has begun recruiting a venue general manager to lead the launch.
Hobart had been the only Australian state capital without a Yo-Chi outlet.
In February, popular Kingston Beach pub Salty Dog opened its new expansion venue Frosty Dog.
Frosty Dog served over 10,000 cups of frozen yoghurt and açai in its first week of operation.
