DBIA Featured Post: YoYo's Yogurt Café

Small businesses are run by people who are passionate about what they do. Often times, these owners take a leap of faith and leave a stable career behind to take on something they’ve always wanted to do. For them, the rewards far outweigh the risks. Yo Yo's Yogurt Cafe owners Ted and Carol-Anne Detmers are a perfect example of this.

Located in the trendy Hunter Street Café district, the café can be found at 188 Hunter St W Unit 8, a short walk into the Chamber St. Municipal Parking Lot between Burrow and Kouture Hair Studio. The café is built into an aesthetically pleasing location, combining 100-year-old brick walls with the modernist, colourful features characteristic of frozen yogurt cafés. Ted and Carol-Anne put all of the work into the café themselves, and used as many recycled materials as they could to keep the process as green as possible.

YoYo’s Yogurt Café originated in London, Ont., and was the first Canadian self-serve frozen yogurt chain of its kind. As the name suggests, YoYo’s offers more than 80 different individual flavours of yogurt or sorbet that, when combined with some of the 50 toppings available, yield the promise of a healthy snack or a guilty pleasure treat. All yogurts and sorbets are fresh frozen based and flavoured in house. Toppings include fresh fruits, a variety of candies and chocolates, and even the famous popping bobas—the signature ingredient in bubble tea.

Customers have not one but two different ways to enjoy their frozen yogurt at YoYo’s: a “Yo-Blend” smoothie or a “Yo-Bowl” of yogurt. Each order is paid by weight, with the option of adding protein to your smoothie. A few popular flavours worth trying out include: green apple sorbet, cookie dough, birthday cake and the ever-popular chocolate and vanilla—and they are all non-fat!

As the season changes from winter to spring and summer, YoYo’s will open up its spacious patio to add to the bustling café district’s atmosphere. Even with the cold season at hand, Carol-Anne and Ted say that they have a dedicated group of amazing customers that is steadily growing and spreading the word about them! Very shortly, they will also be introducing a “YoYo to GoGo” option that will allow their customers to take home a tub of their favourite yogurt or sorbet flavour(s).

Carol-Anne and Ted grew up in Peterborough and have been dedicated members of the community for years. They have recently joined the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, and have been long time supporters of the city’s youth soccer scene. Ted was a coach in the rep and house league, and he and Carol-Anne were also conveners for a few house league divisions. They encourage all soccer players to visit the café for a post-game treat.

Open 7 days a week, Carol-Anne and Ted invite you to come in and taste the difference! Once you experience their fresh products, clean environment, and friendly atmosphere, you’ll never look at frozen yogurt the same way again! Once you’re hooked, their “Berry Loyal” loyalty program will give you another reason to keep coming back. The innovative, iPad-based software allows customers to track each visit they make at any YoYo’s location using their mobile phone or land line.

After signing up for the program by entering their phone number on the Berry Loyal iPad, customers receive a $1 off coupon that they can redeem. After their tenth visit is recorded, customers will then receive a coupon for $5 off their next purchase. The Berry Loyal program also enables YoYo’s franchisees to send out promotional offers via text message to all members who signed up at their store. The YoYo’s difference is the unique combination of an old-fashioned approach to the customer experience combined with modern technology and quality products. Come in and experience Yogurt Yo way today!

For more on YoYo's Yogurt Cafe (88 Hunter St W, Unit 8), go to:

Phone: 705.742.0707
Website: YoYosYogurtCafe.com
Facebook: YoYosYogurtCafe
Twitter: @YoYosPtbo

For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.

—By Aaron Elliott