By Joan Hadac
With images of a year’s worth of free frozen yogurt dancing in their heads, several people reportedly camped out overnight at the new TCBY (“The Country’s Best Yogurt”) shop at 95th and Oak Park, ready for its grand opening on the morning of Saturday, July 27.
“This stuff is incredible, delicious,” smiled 19-year-old Kathy Pawlik of Oak Lawn as she savored a bowl of cheesecake TCBY frozen yogurt that included no fewer than six different toppings and mix-ins. “I have a feeling we’re going to be hanging out here,” she added as she nodded at her friend, Jennifer Murphy of Chicago’s Mt. Greenwood neighborhood.
A flyer touting the opening had promised free frozen yogurt for a year to the first 50 customers.
Young and old swarmed the place and were greeted at the door by Toby the Clown, cracking jokes and mugging for photos as he gently controlled the crowd and kept the inside from becoming overcrowded.
In the middle of it all, grinning like a kid at his own birthday party was Joseph Kashkeesh of the Kash Investment Group of Orland Park, which owns the local TCBY unit and other eateries across the Chicago area.
“Isn’t this great?” he asked. “We have a TCBY in Orland, and we’ve heard requests from so many people to open one in Oak Lawn. Well, here we are. Oak Lawn is a great place, really vibrant with good people and good leadership. We will do well here.”
On hand to support the new venture were Mayor Sandra Bury, Village Clerk Jane Quinlan, several business community leaders, and dozens of well wishers.
The new frozen yogurt store is one of 25 units that TCBY hopes to add in the Chicago area in the next four years, the company has stated. All told, there about 360 TCBY shops nationwide, according to the company website.
In a departure from the TCBYs of years ago, the new shops offer customers the fun and convenience of self-service, both for the frozen yogurt itself and several dozen toppings. The shops have also been re-designed with a sleek European feel that is colorful without being brash.
The hipster design went unnoticed by four-year-old Bryan Whittington of Evergreen Park, who was gleefully lost in the joy of chocolate yogurt with chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles. His mom, Candace, smiled as she struggled to keep up with napkins. “At his age, the goal is just to eat the frozen yogurt and not wear it.”
With images of a year’s worth of free frozen yogurt dancing in their heads, several people reportedly camped out overnight at the new TCBY (“The Country’s Best Yogurt”) shop at 95th and Oak Park, ready for its grand opening on the morning of Saturday, July 27.
“This stuff is incredible, delicious,” smiled 19-year-old Kathy Pawlik of Oak Lawn as she savored a bowl of cheesecake TCBY frozen yogurt that included no fewer than six different toppings and mix-ins. “I have a feeling we’re going to be hanging out here,” she added as she nodded at her friend, Jennifer Murphy of Chicago’s Mt. Greenwood neighborhood.
A flyer touting the opening had promised free frozen yogurt for a year to the first 50 customers.
Young and old swarmed the place and were greeted at the door by Toby the Clown, cracking jokes and mugging for photos as he gently controlled the crowd and kept the inside from becoming overcrowded.
In the middle of it all, grinning like a kid at his own birthday party was Joseph Kashkeesh of the Kash Investment Group of Orland Park, which owns the local TCBY unit and other eateries across the Chicago area.
“Isn’t this great?” he asked. “We have a TCBY in Orland, and we’ve heard requests from so many people to open one in Oak Lawn. Well, here we are. Oak Lawn is a great place, really vibrant with good people and good leadership. We will do well here.”
On hand to support the new venture were Mayor Sandra Bury, Village Clerk Jane Quinlan, several business community leaders, and dozens of well wishers.
The new frozen yogurt store is one of 25 units that TCBY hopes to add in the Chicago area in the next four years, the company has stated. All told, there about 360 TCBY shops nationwide, according to the company website.
In a departure from the TCBYs of years ago, the new shops offer customers the fun and convenience of self-service, both for the frozen yogurt itself and several dozen toppings. The shops have also been re-designed with a sleek European feel that is colorful without being brash.
The hipster design went unnoticed by four-year-old Bryan Whittington of Evergreen Park, who was gleefully lost in the joy of chocolate yogurt with chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles. His mom, Candace, smiled as she struggled to keep up with napkins. “At his age, the goal is just to eat the frozen yogurt and not wear it.”
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