Kinesiology junior Sun Hye Yim eats frozen yogurt Thursday at Tutti Frutti, 515 E. Grand River Ave. The frozen yogurt shop will have their grand opening today. They’ve been open for the past two weeks for a “soft opening.” Julia Nagy/The State News
—For MSU alumna Kayla Nguyen, success has never tasted so sweet — sour or chocolatey.
Today marks the grand opening of Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt and O’ My Buns!, 515 E. Grand River Ave., at the former site of Planned Parenthood, which closed in January 2012.
Nguyen said she wanted to open her own private frozen yogurt after visiting one while she was in California, but didn’t think of owning a Tutti Frutti franchise until she did some research and visited one herself.
“I fell in love with it,” she said.
Nguyen signed the lease for the business last October and renovated the interior before serving up the frozen treat for the first time on March 7.
She said as a first-time business owner she held a “soft” open to train her staff and get comfortable with the operation.
Nguyen said she plans to advertise the store after the grand opening, but chose not to during the soft open.
“I just kind of let it be to see how many people know about us without advertising,” she said.
Journalism junior Patrick Mullen said he hadn’t heard about the frozen yogurt and bakery shop, but he still would check it out.
“If I were walking by, or I was like, with my girlfriend and she wanted to go, I’d go try it out,” he said.
The store offers 12 different flavors of soft serve yogurt, which Nguyen said she plans to switch up every two weeks with the exception of popular flavors, such as chocolate and vanilla.
The store also offers more than 50 different kinds of toppings, including Mike and Ike candy, gummy bears and marshmallows. Nguyen said she plans on adding more toppings as the business gets on its feet.
For its grand opening special between 5-8 p.m. today, customers can get a 12-ounce soft serve with unlimited toppings for $1, cash only.
The location also is home to O’ My Buns!, a bakery shop selling specialty buns, such as butter-filled and cream cheese-filled buns. Coffee-flavored and vanilla-flavored toppings also are available.
Social relations and policy freshman Kathryn Maass came with her friend to the shop around the time when it first opened after hearing about it from a flyer in Case Hall. This was her second time at the business, eating chocolate frozen yogurt, with chocolate chips and fudge on top.
“It will attract a lot of college students ‘cause who doesn’t like frozen yogurt?” she said.
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