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SOMERS, N.Y. - Bobbie Loeb, founder/owner of Aunt Bs Yogurt Bar at the Somerstown Center, enjoyed several other careers before plunging into the frozen yogurt business. She was in real estate, she sold life insurance and for ten years she was a make-up artist at Saks Fifth Avenue.
I knew I wanted to do something different, she says. And I wanted to do something creative. This is more my thing than sitting in an office.
I always admired Forty Carrots at Bloomingdales. It was busy with everyone eating frozen yogurt. I love it for lunch. Loeb considered opening a chocolate shop or a gourmet cafe, but the frozen yogurt shop really caught her fancy. I considered doing a franchise, but I thought, why should I pay 7% of my sales? to somebody else.
Why Somers? I think Somers needs something, says Loeb, a 6-year resident of North Salem. So does North Salem. Its not that far away. People seem really happy so far. People say, We really needed something like this.
Aunt Bs Yogurt Bar has a special twist because it is mostly self-serve. You take a cup, choose from among 10 flavors, 15 varieties and over 40 toppings. Her own favorite flavors are tart and lemon, her husbands, peanut butter and coconut. Having assembled your ideal treat, you simply weigh it and pay for it. There is even a self-serve Belgian waffle machine.
Everybody loves it, people from three to 103, says Loeb. They all want to do it themselves. They come in, get what they want, and sit. Customers seem to enjoy the retro ambience and color scheme: pink and green, like an old fashioned ice cream parlor. One customer comes in just for the waffle.
Aunt Bs Yogurt Bar is open Sunday - Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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