Solomon Choi, founder of “16 Handles Frozen Yogurt”, dies at 44

Solomon Choi, an entrepreneur known as the founder of the self-service frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles, has died. He was 44 years old.

In his last Instagram post in March 2023, Choi announced that he sold the company during the pandemic in 2022.

Following the news of his death, Neil Hershman, 16 Handles’ largest franchisee, issued a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Solomon Choi, founder and former CEO of 16 Handles,” Hershman said in a statement to Restaurant Business, also obtained by PEOPLE.

“He was a visionary who came to New York City in his twenties and founded this iconic frozen dessert brand. 16 Handles is where I personally started franchising and I owe so much to Solomon for the opportunities, training, mentorship and friendship he has provided me over the years.”

“Part of 16 Handles’ mission statement is to ‘create moments of happiness,’ and Solomon truly embodied this in his personal and professional life, always with a big smile and an optimistic attitude,” Hershman’s statement continued.

“Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and all those who loved him and worked with him during this incredibly difficult time.”

According to Choi’s LinkedIn profile, he was scheduled to participate in a QSR Summit panel discussion on “The Future of Digital Transformation in the Fast Casual and QSR Industries” on Tuesday, June 11.

The account lists him as CEO of Jabba Brands and states that he lives in New York.

According to his obituary, Choi died on June 7. A cause of death was not given.

Before founding 16 Handles, the Seoul, South Korea-born entrepreneur attended the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2002.

Choi leaves behind his wife Hannah Chang-Choi, their two children – 7-year-old Jubilee and 4-year-old Joshua – his parents and two sisters.

The couple met in 2015 and were engaged within 85 days.

Just six months after they met, Choi and Chang-Choi got married.

“Salomon was an outstanding example of a man who was driven by his purpose and faith in God and passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others. He led a Christian men’s group and was committed to supporting and challenging those around him to be the best versions of themselves,” his obituary said.

His family said his “legacy will live on forever” and paid tribute to his “unending optimism, his discipline and fearlessness and his Michael Jackson dance moves.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“He loved his wife and children with all his might and will be remembered as the best husband and father in the world,” the obituary said.

Services for Choi will be held on Saturday, June 14, at 5 p.m. at Promise Church.