Go Froyo LLC, a new frozen-yogurt concern here, has opened its first outlet in Spokane Valley and plans to open two more in Spokane this fall and winter.
Nancy Chen, who co-owns the company with business partner Tong Li, says the first Go Froyo store opened last month in 1,500 square feet of leased space in a multitenant retail building at 15735 E. Broadway.
Go Froyo plans to open its second store this week in 1,500 square feet of leased space in the Nevada Towers retail center, at 6704 N. Nevada, on Spokane's North Side.
Its third store will be the first tenant in a multitenant retail structure under construction at the site of a former longtime Chinese restaurant on the South Hill, Chen says. Go Froyo plans to occupy that space, at 2915 E. 29th, in front of the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, in January, she says.
Chen says the South Hill outlet will be somewhat larger than the other Go Froyo outlets, because she expects the new Trader Joe's grocery store nearby will draw a lot of traffic to the shopping center and surrounding businesses.
Go Froyo currently employs two people in addition to the owners, and Chen says she expects each store will employ four to six people by the anticipated summer sales peak.
The Spokane Valley store is equipped with five self-serve frozen-yogurt dispensing machines, each with two separate flavors that can be swirled together to bring the total combination of flavors at the store to 15 at any given time. Go Froyo also offers sorbet as a nondairy option to frozen yogurt.
The Nevada Towers store also will have five machines, and the South Hill store will have six machines, she says.
Go Froyo also offers more than 40 toppings, including fresh fruit, candy, nuts, fruit-juice poppers, and cereal, Chen says. It also has Asian-inspired toppings, including mochi, a Japanese confection made from rice. The cost for self-serve frozen yogurt is 40 cents an ounce, including toppings, she says.
John Hiller, of Goodale & Barbieri Co., handled the Spokane Valley lease. Hiller and Guy Byrd, of Cornerstone Property Advisors LLC, handled the North Side lease, and Marshall Clark, of Clark Pacific Real Estate Co., handled the Lincoln Heights lease.