Next Life: From Legal Eagle to Frozen Yogurt Mini-Mogul

While working as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, Chloe Epstein wanted a more flexible work schedule to accommodate her growing family. So the mother of three decided to become a real estate broker. For four years between apartment showings, she would treat her brood to frozen yogurt at low-cal meccas such as Tasti D-Lite and Pinkberry, yet she was always worried about what was in the sweets. “With the kids, I became less calorie-concerned and really concerned with the ingredients,” says Epstein.

She soon decided that the best way to protect her kids from “mysterious ingredients” was to start her own frozen yogurt company using only fruit, water, and organic sugar. In 2009 the 36-year-old and her husband, Jason, raised funds to hire a restaurant consultant, lease an Upper East Side storefront, and buy soft-serve machines, which cost $20,000 apiece. They then brought in a financial partner and spent $10,000 on nutritional testing to formulate the product. Epstein opened her first shop in the summer of 2010 as Simply Peeled but has since changed the name to The Soft Serve Fruit Co. To produce the brand’s four seasonal flavors, the company goes through as much as 500 pounds of every fruit it serves—every week.