Nova purchased the building formerly occupied by Motions dancewear store at 2060 S. University Blvd.
The owners of Nova Yogurt, a new “you-make-it” confection concept, are hoping to turn South University Boulevard into a dessert destination for the sweet-tooth set by April.
That’s when proprietor Jaejun Lee hopes to begin scooping out a living in the former Motions dancewear store at 2060 S. University Blvd., which has been up for sale or lease since late summer 2008.
Lee, a 38-year-old former software engineer, bought the 7,500 square-foot property late last year. He plans to run Nova Yogurt in part of it and an undisclosed retailer in the rest.
Lee sees yogurt as a “fun business” that he hopes will be a big improvement on software engineering.
“It was time to change my career,” he says gratefully.
Nova Yogurt is a self-serve concept, so customers build their own confectionary masterpieces and devour the results.
“Grab a cup, choose from a list of 16 flavors and finish off with 40-plus toppings,” Lee says. “Weigh, pay and you’re on your way.”
The cost is 39 cents per ounce and the yogurt flavors available will rotate. Vanilla, chocolate and traditional fruit flavors will be offered alongside more exotic ones such as mango, pomegranate, coconut, Acai berry, taro and red bean. Seasonal flavors will include pumpkin, egg nog and gingerbread, and specialty offerings are non-dairy raspberry, non-dairy vanilla soy and lemonade sorbetto.
“There’s a lot of creativity possible,” Lee says. “And that’s the selling point. Plus, it’s fun.”