SCRANTON -- Some business people in our area are trying out a sweet and frosty new venture.
Self-serve frozen yogurt stores are opening up all over, including Lackawanna County.
In just the last few days, a long empty spot on Courthouse Square in Scranton has gotten a lot brighter. It's the newest business in the downtown, but these days it's not unique.
A family from New Jersey opened up Coconut Summer this week. The business sells self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce frozen yogurt.
"We thought Scranton because we go to school here, there`s not as many around. So we thought it would be a good idea to see the response from the university students and a lot of the workers. It`s been great so far," said manager Nicole Fiore.
Fiore said the owners saw a starting trend in the Scranton area. Coconut Summer is the latest of close to a dozen self-serve yogurt stores in Lackawanna County.
Wayne Lydon claims to be the first.
His frozen yogurt place, Yogo Loco, opened last June in Dickson City and Lydon says since his competition has increased ten-fold.
"It`s fun, didn`t seem like there was tons of overhead, that`s why it`s so attractive, I think," Lydon said.
The owners said the customers like it because they have so many options. There`s a wide variety of flavors, and plenty of toppings to choose from.
They also said the spots have become after-school hangouts for teenagers, and families enjoy a healthier alternative to ice cream.
Lydon said he moved back to his hometown with Yogo Loco in mind because he saw the same trend in other parts of the country.
"I kind of knew it was going to blow up, fortunately we were the first ones and we`ve enjoyed doing it," he added.