It’s a trend that has grown quite popular across the country: self-serve frozen yogurt. From the East Coast to the West Coast, and even as far as the Hawaiian Islands, frozen yogurt (often referred to as “froyo”) has widely become one of America’s favorite treats.
So, why has Thurston County been so behind on the times?
Tumwater businessman Stacy Crain may not have the answer to that, but he certainly has the solution: LIMEberry Yogurt.
The LIMEberry Self Serve Frozen Yogurt chain started in August 2010 in Salem, Oregon by Stacy’s son’s father-in-law, Terry Phillips. After the Salem store saw great success, one of Terry’s friends opened a store in Albany, Oregon, followed by Tumwater’s first frozen yogurt shop.
The family of LIMEberry Yogurt shops are all fairly similar, following the same standards and layouts to make the process customer-friendly and easy to use.
“Most self-serve frozen yogurt stores aren’t set up well. This one really flows. You come in, you work your way through the line, and you can stay or leave,” Stacy says of his store’s layout. “You come in and out with a nice flow.”
The Tumwater shop opened on May 14, and is serving people from the Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey areas. Stacy hopes to soon open up more stores to better serve the greater Thurston County community.
Up until May, froyo lovers in the Tumwater, Olympia and Lacey areas had to travel to Lakewood to satisfy their taste buds.
“People have experienced self-serve frozen yogurt elsewhere, so they get excited when they find out we’re here,” Stacy said.
Stacy and his wife Cherri are lifetime Tumwater residents looking to give back to the community they love and have been a part of forever. They want LIMEberry Yogurt to not only be a family-run store, but also an extended family for all of its customers.
“We want them to feel like they are a part of the ‘Limeberry family.’ We want them to feel like family—safe,” Cherri says of LIMEberry’s customers.
Stacy said they are creating relationships with their customers. He said he thinks that’s where their success so early on has come from: word of mouth. People have come in and had a great experience, so in turn, they tell their family and friends.
One customer confessed: “Oh my gosh this is embarrassing! My boss turned me on to this place and now this is my third time back!”
“I want people to come in and feel like they’ve had a good experience, that they got a nice treat, got just what they wanted, got a smile and felt good when they left,” Stacy said. “And had fun while they were here! Those are the only rules.”
And it’s obvious that those rules are being followed. The shop is bright, cheery and colorful. It’s full of energy, helpful employees, smiles and tasty treats.
LIMEberry Yogurt keeps five standard yogurts (chocolate, vanilla, cake batter, a no sugar added flavor and a non-dairy sorbet) and rotates five flavors in. They have featured all kinds of yogurt flavors, such as red velvet cake, island banana, pomegranate raspberry and mountain blackberry. Customers can top off their yogurt (or combination of yogurts) with fresh fruits and candy from the topping bar. The creative options are endless.
And the best part?
“You’re in charge!” Stacy says proudly. “You can put as much or as little as you want. You’re in charge of what you put in your cup.”
LIMEberry Yogurt also gives back to the community by helping local groups and organizations with fundraising. Most recently, the shop helped two members of the Hello Cupcake group from Olympia raise money for its fundraising efforts. Hello Cupcake is a local team that participates in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event in Seattle. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the event are invested in breast cancer research and community programs.
On June 21, LIMEberry donated 20% of each dollar of all sales to the two Hello Cupcake team members, helping them raise $370. The walk is in September, and LIMEberry will set aside another day in July and in August to help them reach their goal.
LIMEberry also helped a local high school’s yearbook club raise money, and they’re willing and happy to help other local schools and programs with their needs. It’s a win-win situation for all.
“I mean, I’m just a yogurt shop, but I want to be a friendly place,” Stacy said proudly.
Stop by the shop today to experience the flavors and fun for yourself! Become a fan of Tumwater’s LIMEberry Yogurt on Facebook and check back for updates on future events!
LIMEberry Self Serve Frozen Yogurt
5729 Littlerock Road #105
Tumwater, WA 98512
360.515.0598
