Yogurt Fields Forever

Walking down the streets of downtown Athens, a passerby sees big name restaurants like Ben and Jerry’s, Five Guys and locally owned businesses alike. But a sixth month old frozen yogurt store is what local teens and college students are craving. This… is… YOGURI. Founded just this past September by Vena Kim, the frozen yogurt shop is a breath of fresh (and sweet) air that is taking the town of Athens by storm.
About two years ago, Vena Kim decided that she wanted a piece of the Frozen Yogurt fad that was going around the country. She spent the next few years researching and looking at other frozen yogurt shops around the country to learn about the product and how to make it her own. According to YOGURI employee, Andrew Arnold, “Vena spent months working on the image of her store so that it would appeal to people your age.”Her hard work paid off. The shop has a modern feel that high school and college aged kids can relate to. To diversify her store, Vena also put in her own little twist. She used her Korean heritage to give the store a unique name with an Asian flavor to it. As an extra quirk, she slipped in mochi (little Korean rice balls with a sweet taste) as a topping option. Another extraordinary idea was to place a jar of Pop Rocks for sale at the counter. It’s become popular to use the Pop Rocks as a topping for the yogurt. All of the toppings displayed in the store look appealing and fresh, assuring the customer that they are getting a quality treat. The yogurt is made every morning by Vena and her sister and the fruit toppings are always fresh. While enjoying their frozen treat, customers can sit in the shop and read all of the nutrition facts about yogurt conveniently pasted on the wall.
People feel at peace in YOGURI due to the fact that the space is always clean, there is always a soft Beatles song playing in the background (hence the ever so creative title), and the employees are gracious people always willing to help a customer. Unlike a big chain store where employees are either rude or unresponsive, YOGURI has a specific policy that an employee should “adjust themselves to the customer.” Vena has high standards for her employees and chooses only the finest people. Employees give suggestions to newcomers and give off a warm feeling that adds to the already heartwarming atmosphere of the store. And because YOGURI is a locally owned business, people support Vena and the town by buying there, unlike a Ben and jerry’s where you are paying a big corporation.
But the best part is (drum roll please)…IT’S HEALTHY! Frozen Yogurt is a healthier alternative to sweets like ice cream but you wouldn’t be able to tell because of the great taste. Also, YOGURI is a healthier version of frozen yogurt than other big names such as TCBY. TCBY and others focus on making the yogurt like ice cream; where as YOGURI tries to make their yogurt unique and healthy by using fat free yogurt and milk. Vena wanted the youth of today to have a frozen treat that tasted delicious and was also healthier for them.
As of now, YOGURI offers 4 flavors of yogurt; original, dark chocolate, mango, and green tea. Customers have a choice of a number of toppings including strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, Oreo crumbs, chocolate chips, pecans, granola crumbs and much more. There are plans to introduce two new flavors of yogurt in the next year. Since the huge success of YOGURI in Athens, Vena has plans to expand her shop to other locations. With YOGURI in full motion, it’s safe to say there will be yogurt fields forever.

Ben Calvo is a sophomore at Carrboro High in Chapel Hill, NC. Title idea taken from the Beatles Song “Strawberry Fields Forever”.