Sweet Yo's opened this week in downtown Grand Rapids, bringing the downtown area its first build-your-own frozen yogurt sundae shop featuring 18 frozen yogurt flavors and over 50 toppings.
Sweet Yo's (134 Monroe Center Ave. NW) is a sister shop to Sweet Yo's in East Grand Rapids (2180 Wealthy St. SE), which opened earlier this year. Husband and wife Mario and Lidia Piccione teamed up with Mario's sister Rosa Piccione to open the shop, and celebrated a ribbon cutting on Tuesday.
"We felt that the location across from Rosa Parks Circle was a perfect spot for what we're looking for," says Mario Piccione. "We're looking for more of a foot traffic business, and this fit our needs. The shop is just steps from popular eateries
The Dog Pit and
Angel's Thai Café and around the corner from
Kilwin's Chocolates.
The self-serve aspect lets customers choose their flavor or a combination of flavors in a dish or a waffle bowl and add their toppings of choice. Price is calculated by weight, at 49 cents per ounce.
Sweet Yo's opened with frozen yogurt selections of key lime, espresso hazelnut, cake batter, peanut butter, blueberry cheesecake, fresh strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and two non-dairy sorbetto flavors: lemon and mango.
Toppings run a mouthwatering gamut from the standard chocolate, caramel and strawberry syrups and whipped cream to fresh fruit, Rice Krispies Treats, M & M's, Skittles and Reese's Pieces.
The Piccione family has a history of businesses in the Greater Grand Rapids area, including an experience with launching a 2009 startup in the downtown core, Lia Rose (40 Monroe Center Ave. NW), co-owned by Rosa Piccione. Rosa also owns Rosa's Closet (East Grand Rapids), and Mario and Lidia own Uccello's restaurant in Caledonia and co-own Uccello's in Grandville.
Sweet Yo's hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Mon. through Sun. during ArtPrize.
Source: Mario Piccione, Sweet Yo's; Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.