YogoHut Opens in Grosse Pointe Woods

Grosse Pointers have a new option for a cold treat: YogoHut in opened Friday featuring 12 flavors of soft-serve yogurt with more than 30 toppings to add.

YogoHut is a self-serve frozen yogurt business, which means customers fill their own bowls and add their own toppings. The treats are weighed on a scale at the cash register and are priced at .49-cents per ounce.

The owner, Darilyn Williams, first saw a self-serve soft frozen yogurt while traveling in California in 2008 and "fell in love with the idea." She was a school teacher at the time but lost her job due to lay-offs in 2009.

Since she's been doing odd jobs and then a family trip to the Toledo area spurred her idea into action. When she originally considered opening such a business, she was unsure of how it would do in Michigan. After seeing such a business in another midwestern state and talking with owners of some, she felt more confident, she said.

Originally she had been trying to secure a lease in the location where is now located but she then found the space two doors away. YogoHut is in the same block as the , and several other service related businesses. She believes it's a good location because of the other businesses in the area and she has something different to offer.

A Harper Woods resident and native of Detroit, Williams said she wanted to open a business close to home that targeted residents from the Pointes, Harper Woods and other nearby communities.

Williams said a lot of work had to be done to the buidling that formerly housed a tanning salon. She had to demolish 12 small rooms to open the space up for self-serve yogurt purposes. She also had to do a great deal of plumbing and electrical work to meet the needs of the machinery and edible treats served at YogoHut.

She signed a lease for the building last June and began construction in October after receiving approval from city inspectors. She worked with an architect who helped her bring her vision to reality, she said.

The space has a tropical theme with mosiac tiled walls, modern furniture and bamboo trim with a straw awning on one wall. There are 12 self-service machines featuring basic flavors such as chocolate and vanilla and more complex flavors such as cheesecake, key lime and cookies and cream. Most of the flavors will be rotated with the exception of the basic flavors, Williams said.

In addition to a variety of flavors, there are more than 30 toppings to choose from including fruit, cookies, candies, coconut and more.

Friday's weather brought a variety of customers into the new frozen treat business. Williams said she was nervous early Friday before actually opening the doors for business for the first time but ultimately, she was far busier than she anticipated for her first day.

In addition to frozen treats, YogoHut will offer customers frequency cards, gift cards and eventually smoothies, Williams said. She would like to add the smoothie option as the summer season heats up this year, she said, noting she still has a great deal to learn as a business owner considering her professional experience has been as a teacher.

Her mother is helping her with staffing and operations, Williams said, explaining what a support she has been during this project and opening of a new business. Eventually she'll be looking to hire employees as summer approaches.

For now, YogoHut will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Williams said the hours are likely to be expanded as the weather continues warming and summer arrives.

For more information on YogoHut, visit its website, www.yogohut.com, Facebook page, or call 313-734-5189.