Local Yogurt just got a little more local.
As early as Thursday, the popular yogurt shop will host a soft opening of its newest store, which is located in the Erwin Terrace complex on Erwin Road. The store will join the three other Local Yogurt locations in the area, including its original Durham location on University Drive and the stores in Greenville and Elon. The opening will allow the store to begin functioning for business before its official grand opening.
Local Yogurt is run by a brother-sister tandem, Michael and Leah Bergman, both originally from Durham. Duke students can look forward to the grand opening—likely to take place next week—when Local Yogurt will highlight its new products and flavors, including watermelon sorbet, honey lavender tart, dulce de leche and Girl Scout Thin Mint flavor.
The new flavor lineup and the convenience of Erwin Terrace have Leah feeling optimistic and hoping that the new store will be equally as prosperous as its Durham counterpart.
“The first store was very successful, and it really exceeded expectations,” Leah said.
Leah cited increasing demand as the primary reason for the establishment of a second location. The Erwin Road store will allow Local Yogurt to better serve the Duke population and keep wait lines down.
Senior Frini Makadia said she thinks the new location will be quickly embraced by customers within the Duke community.
“I think LoYo’s new location is ideal,” Makadia said. “It’s easily accessible for all Duke students—they’ll probably see more traffic than their current location.”
The yogurt shop’s faithful customers can rest assured, however, that the new location will stay true to its original conception emphasizing its partnership with Durham suppliers. The store will undergo only slight modifications to better serve its target audience.
“It will cater to students more, as well as the medical center,” Leah said. “We’ll have a new flavor as well—a no sugar added flavor. We will also continue the student discounts.”
Even before the Erwin Terrace location pumps its first cup of yogurt, some students said they are already anticipating the opening of the new store.
“I love LoYo, and I’ll be living at the Belmont next year, so I’m excited it will be so close to my apartment and campus,” junior Hannah Chartoff said.
Freshman Dena Kaye-Phillips called the new location a “smart marketing decision,” especially as the spring approaches. She added that she thinks Duke students will take advantage of the location’s proximity.
Local Yogurt’s popularity among college students has not gone unnoticed by the Bergmans, as the opening of its new Durham location comes on the heels of the March 12 grand opening of the location near Elon University.
“It makes a lot of sense to open closer to Duke’s campus,” senior Jenny Lin said. “In fact, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”
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