Chillz Frozen Yogurt is Here

Grand Terrace was flooded this passing weekend with visitors from all over the Inland Empire who came to enjoy the grand opening celebration of the very first Chillz Frozen Yogurt shop to enjoy the desserts, face painting, bouncy house and slides, dunk tanks, music, and even live penguins! These weren't just any penguins that made the trek from their Hollywood home, where they star in a number of television segments through their "agency" Hollywood Animals, these were South African Penguins who hate the cold. For this reason, co-owner Bryan Young shares that they were perfect for the warm day. "It turned out better than we could have ever imagined." Young shares that at first the three co-owners; himself and his wife Jaime Young, along with former TapouT co-founder Dan Caldwell, joked about the idea of live penguins in the team's hunt for a memorable opening that would set the shop apart. The unique ties between the business partners include a former relationship between Jaime and Dan, and the devotion to the family's children Madison Caldwell and Breanna Young, both of whom are Grand Terrace residents, stepsisters, club soccer players, and 15-year-old incoming sophomores at Grand Terrace High School. The co-owners share that they all have a good relationship with one another and work well together. In addition to the entrepreneurial desire that drove the three to make their dream a reality by signing the lease for the former Starbucks location in January of this year, the even stronger driving force was to teach their two daughters. "We wanted to involve our daughters in what business takes, how it operates and what hard work can get you," shared Bryan. "It's been great to see them down there. They both worked so hard and it was just neat to see that. They've been involved in the decision-making and coming up with ideas and it's just been great to involve them." Caldwell shared "Kids have some of the best ideas; they haven't learned about the failure and limitations that life teaches yet." Caldwell shares that the girls came up with the idea to have the live penguins at the grand opening, which helped the event draw over 1,000 Inland Empire residents from communities around. Caldwell's desire to keep his roots in Grand Terrace after selling TapouT to a New York-based company a few years ago stems from his memory of his grandpa's machine shop and the days working there with his dad. "I remember it feeling so cool that my grandpa owned it, and that is just a feeling that I want to give to my kids. I love the community of Grand terrace. It is so tight-knit." He shared that he feels the people of Grand Terrace enjoy staying within their community but currently don't have all of the retail outlets necessary to be able to do so, and looks forward to Chillz helping fill part of that gap. “There isn’t really anywhere in Grand Terrace to go for dessert,” said Bryan. “We also decided to serve coffee, since there is nowhere is Grand Terrace to go for that right now either.” The new Chillz Frozen Yogurt shop is the first frozen dessert store to open in Grand Terrace, giving residents the option to enjoy something sweet without having to head down to Colton or Loma Linda. Brianna Barksdale, one of the 18 new employees at Chillz, commented on the opening of the new store. “I moved here three years ago [Grand Terrace] and I am really happy to finally have a dessert place." Barksdale had been training for the week leading up to the event in preparation for the massive lines that wrapped around the shopping center’s parking lot. While Barksdale went on to say how her favorite frozen yogurt option was the Tahitian Vanilla, the shop also carries Watermelon Sorbet, California Tart, Southern Butter Pecan, Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel, Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, Triple Chocolate, Cheesecake, Strawberry Sensations, and Mint Chocolate Chip; all of which can be topped with any of their dozens of toppings, from traditional sprinkles to fresh blackberries. Linda Caldwell, Dan Caldwell’s mother, could barely contain her excitement as she commented on the taste of the frozen yogurt from the store her son co-owns. “It’s awesome! Fantastic! Amazing and wonderful!” said Mrs. Caldwell. If frozen yogurt isn’t your preferred dessert, Chillz still has something to offer you in the way of coffee, smoothies, and soft drinks, including their signature “Frappachillz.” In addition, the location will be adding an oatmeal bar station for breakfast in a few weeks. Customer Madison Coy shared her enthusiasm for the new Chillz shop. “It’s awesome! I am absolutely coming back after today!” While this is the first Chillz shop to open, all three co-owners are already looking to expand into new areas where dessert options or scarce and look forward to opening another Inland Empire location shortly. Bryan shared, "It's amazing how many people thanked us for bringing this to the town. It's always exciting to do something and have your own venture, but to have people thank you just puts it over the top." Chillz is open 7 days a week: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; opening at 8 a.m. on Sundays and is located on the corner of Barton Road and Mt. Vernon Avenue in Grand Terrace.