A locally founded yogurt shop is having success on the East Side and in the Foothills and plans to add more Tucson-area locations within its first year.
BTO Self Serve Yogurt's newest and largest location opened Feb. 18 at 6860 E. Sunrise Drive, in the Ventana Village shopping center. The shop has eight self-serve yogurt machines, each containing two flavors at a time, plus a topping bar. Customers can mix as many flavors and toppings as they want.
"Really that's been the key to the success of this whole thing," said Doug Carr, one of the business partners who began and owns BTO. "People love the idea that they can go in and get what they want."
Customers agree.
"We like the self-serve," said Shannon Grimes, 37. She was in BTO last week with her son Jax, 4, and daughter Gigi, 2, and said they've been to the store a few times since it opened. They live in the neighborhood.
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"My son likes to make his own creation," she said.
Customers pay for the total weight of the serving they've created at 39 cents an ounce; hence the name BTO, which stands for "by the ounce."
Consumers tend to be more satisfied when they have more choices, said Mary Ann Eastlick, associate professor in the University of Arizona Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences' Division of Retailing and Consumer Sciences.
First-time BTO customer Becky Scally, 33, said the yogurt is reasonably priced. Scally took her young nephews and son to BTO for a treat last week.
Next, Carr and his business partners plan to open a BTO on the Northwest Side at 8295 N. Cortaro Road, near Interstate 10. That location will probably open in June, Carr said.
He, his wife Dawn Chang and their business partners — Art Owens and Eric Grossman — opened the first BTO in January inside Buddy's Grill, 4821 E. Grant Road.
Owens owns Buddy's and thought the shop would be a good fit when Carr and Chang approached him with the BTO idea. "We really felt this could be a home run."
When that location, called Buddy's BTO, opened, it mostly attracted people who were eating in the restaurant, but now it's attracting its own customers, Owens said. Buddy's BTO has four self-serve machines.
They're also looking at opening a BTO in Park Place, 5870 E. Broadway, and Sierra Vista, Carr said.
And BTO is catching on with other business people.
Jeff and Fran Katz and Paolo DeFilippis — who all own the eatery Chopped — are licensing to use the BTO brand and will be opening a BTO at 2721 E. Speedway. That's close to the Chopped at 2829 E. Speedway. Katz said the BTO will probably open in very late June or early July.
People from elsewhere in the United States and Canada have also approached BTO's founders about opening shops.
"There are people who are interested all over. It's amazing," Carr said.
He and the other BTO founders all have previous business experience. Owens, 58, owns Buddy's Grill. Carr, 66, was the publisher of Cat Tracks magazine, and has printing and direct-mail marketing companies. Grossman, 54, owns Eric's Carstar, an auto repair business at 1330 S. Alvernon Way.
Chang, 57, created BTO's current tally of 52 flavors with Owens' son, Joe. Flavors include New York cheesecake, cookies 'n' creme, peanut butter and green tea, plus there's non-dairy soft-serve.
For 6-year-old Timmy Flanigan, one of the nephews Scally took to the shop, the variety of flavors is a good reason to go back for more.
"I'd come back 20 times each day and get each flavor."
● Contact reporter Danielle Sottosanti at 618-1922 or at dsottosanti@azstarnet.com.
If you go
BTO Self Serve Yogurt has two locations. They are:
• 6860 E. Sunrise Drive. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The shop may extend its hours for the summer. Phone: 299-5300.
• Buddy's BTO, in Buddy's Grill at 4821 E. Grant Road. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Phone: 795-2226.
Go online to www.BTOyogurt.com for more information.
