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Besten Frozurt Yog
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sweet treat
A family-run business since 1982, Yogurt Pump’s unique frozen treats continue to be a local favorite
classic · curated · cool
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BEST OF CHAPEL HILL 2016
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chapelhillmagazine.com July/August 2016
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hen Scott Stephenson started the Yogurt Pump – or YOPO, as it’s commonly known – in Chapel Hill in 1982, frozen yogurt was not the giant it is today. It was a year after TCBY opened its first shop in Little Rock, Arkansas. “We think it’s the oldest frozen yogurt shop in North Carolina,” says Elise Stephenson, Scott’s daughter and managing partner who has worked in the shop on and off since high school. “He completely hit the mark on the head and beat the market by like 20 years.” Of course, there were trying times and big decisions to be made when the second surge of yogurt popularity hit in the 2000s with the rise of self-service shops like Pinkberry. Ultimately YOPO decided to stick to their roots as a 1980s fro-yo shop. Cleanliness is easier to maintain when employees, called “Yo Pros,” serve the yogurt, Elise says. “It’s more work for us, but we love having almost an old soda shop kind of feel.” Though they’ve been in