MIAGD: make it a great day
Walgreens has tagged their stores as “on the corner of happy and healthy,” but here in Kettering, Ohio, we have one particular corner that is particularly happy and healthy!
Yes, I know. Darin is talking about Awesome Yogurt.
Again.
We have only a few true Mom & Pop businesses. I grew up in the 60s and 70s learning, and appreciating the value of having neighbors and hometown citizens with their own businesses. There are several in my hometown of Elwood, Indiana that are still going strong even if the owners have changed.
For one hour every week, while her sons were in piano lessons, Naomi Anderson Fogel, sat on my sofa, an emptied basket of paper work scattered about, diving into the details of running her own future business from the ground up. It was fascinating to hear Naomi discuss this future business, and with a ton of excitement despite the headaches and hoops.
Four years later, it’s hard for me to imagine when there was not Awesome Yogurt on the corner of Dorothy Lane and Far Hills Avenue. It’s become an icon in our community, and surrounding communities. I’ve heard many parents ask their children, after lessons, “Would you like to go to Awesome Yogurt?”
(Oh, the cruelty of hearing those words and I’m ready to teach my next lesson!)
So what is it about Awesome Yogurt that makes me happy?
The product is yummy. No doubt. And it’s healthier than the competing venues that use powered mixes (barf) rather than the pure ingredients.
Yes, Awesome Yogurt is about PEOPLE, and PEOPLE’s pals!
The store is always cheerful, and one cannot help being pulled into the fun atmosphere. It’s kind of an experience.
When you scour the toppings buffet, the items/containers are always full, and the area is always neat. And, the selections are plenty, and great!
The best part about Awesome Yogurt?
The people Naomi and Jason bring on board to make sure the experience is never less than what it was the time before (which, sometimes for me, is the following day). I’ve watched a number of these high school employees graduate high school, and return during their college breaks.
That, alone, says plenty about what it’s like on the other side of the toppings buffet: employees want to return, therefore, the Fogels offer a great experience for their staff, just as they do their customers.
It all goes right back to PEOPLE. When you focus on PEOPLE, customer service and product quality is guaranteed.
While you are out making it a great day, just go ahead and bump it up a notch by adding some awesomeness to the day by filling a little cardboard cup with the best froyo in The Miami Valley!
