Tthe time has come....

We will have our 'soft' opening on Sunday 1/2/11....from 2 pm until 4pm...we will open our doors and test our skills and our yogurt!

The yogurt machine is on!Stuff, stuff and more stuff...and missing some stuff!

The eye in the sky....Yogurt machines getting set.
The POS system....
Craig...having a moment of craziness
Our first employee meeting...paperwork and bonding.
Yes, one of the smaller pendants is broken/shattered/half gone...ask Craig.
Did I mention...something was bound not to be measured correctly....
Tunes.....check.
Our employee...learning their 'clean-up' craft!
Sarah...finding her spot at the register!
Our trainer....Suzanne....steady hand.
Our employees learning their other craft...putting together the machines and taking them apart!
POS training....hope they can train me!

Construction almost complete! and Hiring has started!

Our restroom is well marked...can't miss it.
Pendant lights above the POS...check.
The large pendant lights above the bar table....
Jerry's desk!
Large pendant lights are working....and Maddie looks very cute as she works quality control on the bar chairs!
Wow....Cooper piping!
The yogurt wall...now, all we need are some machines that will perfectly fit in those 6 openings....

A view from the outside!

We have had quite the busy couple of weeks! Construction is going very well! Machines will be here this week....and we still hope to train and open by 1/2/11! We have been interviewing and hiring....what a fun process that has been. Craig has taken much delight in telling all of our applicants about his first job at McDonalds! Couldn't be happier with the way everything is going.

Our mall location is slowing moving along...initial drawings are done...and we are waiting for the next step!

What a wonderful time of year to begin something new....

Weekend update!

Stain on the floor...done!Our cool freezer and refrigerators...we almost look official now!

Some of our first visitors...who really, really wanted some yogurt!Today is Monday 12/13 and the day is flying by!

All is going well at the Flagship store! Lights will be going up, the safes will be drilled into the concrete, the yogurt machines should be here by Friday....yikes!

This past Saturday we spent 4 hours interviewing members for our team! That was a blast!

and

Today we met with an architect and our builder at the COT Mall location...that will be so much fun to work on...I can't wait!

How many coats of Rubine Red did it take to cover the yogurt wall anyway? and Please Apply!

Our home made 'help us' sign (by Maddie)
The floor as it is right now....tonight the staining process will begin!

Look ! We have lights! and a fire alarm.Our POS station !
Ceiling tiles are in !
Cleaning the floor! and we now have a silver swing thru door!
So much going on! Equipment tomorrow...wondering where our pendant fixtures are....many things to worry about and not enough time to do it!

I am taking guesses on how many coats of Rubine Red it took to cover that wall...winner gets a free yogurt!

Every Day will be different! 12/6/10

The Sink!
The 'Rubine Red' wall...after 4 coats. I made brownies for our Painter Josh....he deserved it!
The white stripe where the menu/video boards will go...The counter was also delivered today!

Time to get caught up!

Our biggest news....signing of the lease for our second store located in Oak Park Mall! We are very excited about this opportunity and all the craziness that comes with it...My palms were sweating the entire time. Maddie will be in her 1st year of post-graduate work when the lease is up...not that I was stressing or anything. All kidding aside, they are thrilled to have us and we can't wait to rock the Mall's world with the best tasting yogurt!Does anyone see panic in this expression...heck no. The yogurt king is ready to go!
Tile work being done in the 'kitchen'.
A look out from where one of the doors to the kitchen will be.
The restroom...hey guess what! The white tile was a mistake and will be corrected. I like to think it is because I brought cookies to all the guys working on this project:) Matt, the tile guy, hales from NE...so, a little Go Big Red goes a long way.
This is a photo of where our cool lite fixtures will hang from! Underneath this fixture will be the dry toppings bar.
Another look.
COLOR has arrived to COT!
The painter Josh really, really loved the 'rubine' red. Just made his day to apply 3 coats....The red below the stainless steel casings will eventually be a white laminate.
The ceiling is a matte black. Where you see gray...eventually it will be white. In fact that probably happened today.
Anyone ready for some yogurt? We are so ready. We were hoping for an opening around Christmas. Now, we are looking at the week after. Perhaps a New Years Eve Friends and Family Night? Up next...staining of the floor, some equipment and lighting!

Our Flagship is truly becoming a reality.

As far as the Mall goes...we will be looking at an April opening date. We currently have an architect beginning initial plans.

More soon!

Yogurt School

This is an idea of the colors and design that our store will have!
Check out the 'menu-board' frame....very, very cool.

Nana stopped by to help mix up some green apple tart!Craig learns how to clean the yogurt machines...under the watchful eye of Edgar!
The yogurt king...pouring in the Strawberry Banana!