On Wednesday, the YogurtLab frozen yogurt store in the South End Zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium held its grand opening.
“We opened in the fall, but never had the chance for a grand opening,” said John Fulkerson, chief operating officer of Yogurt Lab.
The shop has already been successful since it opened in October.
“We have had a great response from the students and community members so far,” he said.
Currently, YogurtLab is the only vendor located in the stadium that can be visited during the off-season. Construction is underway at Zoe’s Kitchen, a restaurant serving sandwiches and salads.
“The market in Bryant-Denny Stadium is designed to be a year-round atmosphere for students, alumni, and community members,” Fullerson said.
YogurtLab offers 12 flavors and 40 toppings, many of which are catered specifically to the University.
One of our best-selling flavors at UA YogurtTime is Crimson Tide Twist, a swirl of vanilla and red velvet, Fulkerson said. They also stock a flavor called “Greek.”
The yogurt shop stocks many unique toppings such as Ashley Mac’s strawberry cake and double chocolate chip pound cake. They also stock a topping called “Houndstooth.”
“YogurtLab is really good,” said Devin Grissom, a sophomore majoring in public relations. “Red velvet is really cool.”
Customers at the grand opening agreed that the location was one of the greatest assets to the shop.
“I think YogurtLab is good for games because it’s right inside the stadium,” said Brittany Schoen, a sophomore majoring in nursing.
Still, others felt that the location of the store might be too close and may tempt one to visit too often.
“I’m just a little worried about it being so close,” Grissom said. “I live right around the corner.”
Although there is no parking available in front of YogurtLab, parking is available just a short distance away.
“Many community members are not aware of this but there is free gated parking across from Rama Jama’s,” he said. “Customers may park there and we will give them a token that they can use to get out of the parking lot.”
YogurtLab’s location is an advantage because they are able to open the South End Zone and use the seating for birthday parties and other events.
“We can do birthday parties, philanthropic events, greek events – anyone that wants to hold an event,” Fulkerson said. “We can also cater events. You don’t have to come to us. We can bring the yogurt to you and cater your event.”
The grand opening is the culmination of a semester of work by a UA student public relations team.
“We were given a $200 budget to put on a public relations campaign for YogurtLab,” Amy Castleberry, a senior majoring in public relations, said. “As a group, we had to utilize our skills to implement a PR campaign. Awareness was our really big issue.”
YogurtLab is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight and closed on Sundays.
