Wedged between a trendy coffee shop and a global import store on Kensington Ave is Spoon Me.
A staircase leads up to a fresh and modern frozen yogurt shop. Curlicues reach up from the light hardwood floor spelling out the store’s name in red on the feature wall. Cozy space-age chairs sit by the window welcoming people in for a cup of frozen yogurt.
Calgary’s two Spoon Me locations began with a franchise opportunity from Salt Lake City, Utah. The concept first sparked the curiosity of SAIT Nutrition for Healthy Living alumnus, Becca Hansen in 2010.
The company trained Hansen, her brother and her business partner Nicole how to live breath and sleep yogurt.
“I haven’t tried a flavour that I don’t like,” said Hansen. “My favourite is always changing.”
Currently, it’s chocolate.
“I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult to bring it up from the States,” said Hansen. “I had zero business experience.”
She has picked up everything she knows from Spoon Me headquarters in Utah.
Beyond offering fat-free, low-cal frozen yogurt, Spoon Me aims to create a lifestyle. The mission is three-fold: love the body we live in, the people we live with and the earth we live on.
“I am really proud of it,” said Hansen. “I even painted the walls myself.”
Hansen says nothing is better than establishing regulars. “Last summer, one girl from England discovered us and would bring two new friends with her every time she came in,” said Hansen. “Soon, they were bringing their friends too. There is no better marketing than word of mouth.”
The Spoon Me blog features engagement photos of a Calgary couple whose first date was at the 17th Ave location. “We tried to make this a cool place to hang out in or bring a first date,” said Hansen.
Calgary Spoon Me’s biggest challenge this year was the long line-ups of hungry customers trying to beat the heat this summer.
“On nice days we were packed full, then it’d rain and everyone would run inside and hide,” she said.
Hansen and her family are looking to expand to Edmonton and Vancouver in the near future, as well as considering self-serve for their Calgary locations.
“It’s fun being my own boss,” said Hansen. “I never thought I’d be doing this, but I’m truly blessed.”