Biz Buzz: New frozen yogurt shop opens in Rigby
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Do you want to know what’s happening on the east Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BRIEF
RIGBY
New dessert shop brings a taste of Hong Kong to eastern Idaho
RIGBY – The next time you drive through Rigby with a sweet tooth, the Fro Yo Bubble Bar may be something you want to check out.
Fro Yo Bubble Bar opened with a grand opening celebration Aug. 31 in the 1,200-square-foot space next to Fiesta Ole. The menu includes six different yogurt flavors with nearly 30 different toppings to choose from. They also offer bubble waffles, fro yo floats and an assortment of flavored soda and specialty drinks.
Restaurant owner Sarah Bindrup tells EastIdahoNews.com the frozen yogurt and the bubble waffle is their best selling item so far.
“We’ve had such a great community response. We couldn’t have been happier. People have received Fro Yo Bubble Bar very well. We’ve had a lot of local support and we’re appreciative of that,” Bindrup says.
A bubble waffle is made with an egg-based batter and cooked in a waffle maker that creates bubbles rather than squares. They’re typically eaten plain, but can be served with fruit.
Bindrup and her family are currently living in Hong Kong for her husband’s job as an officer in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Services. While living there they discovered a popular street food called a bubble waffle. They loved it and realized there wasn’t anything like it in the states.
“We just thought about this idea and went for it,” says Bindrup. “I knew frozen yogurt was popular here. I’m originally from Idaho Falls but my husband and I have always loved the Rigby area.”
Since Rigby didn’t have a family-oriented dessert place where people could go and hang out, they decided it would be an ideal location for their business, she said. They’re happy to bring a taste of Hong Kong to the community and hope to one day move back. The Bindrups run their business through a local manager.
“We’ve traveled quite a bit (over the last eight or nine years) and we’ve really enjoyed keeping a piece of what we’ve learned abroad and bringing it back (here). We’re going to have a lot of new and exciting things that will pop up,” she says.
Bindrup says she’d like to open another location if the opportunity arises and is excited to serve customers in eastern Idaho.
“We started this from scratch and we’re seeing how people respond to it. So far so good,” Bindrup says. “People should give us a try because we have unique things on our menu.”
Fro Yo Bubble Bar is at 135 N. Clark Street in Rigby. Its hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Visit the Facebook page to learn more.
BIZ BITS
City council member in Pocatello proposes merging Pocatello and Chubbuck into one city
POCATELLO – A proposal is on the table to merge Pocatello and Chubbuck into one city under a different name. Pocatello City Council President Jim Johnston tells the Idaho State Journal he’s convinced the idea would result in a tax break for Bannock County residents. The proposal has been met with a lot of opposition, but he’s hoping to get the issue on the ballot next spring. EastIdahoNews.com is looking into this. We hope to have a more in-depth story soon.
The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park is offering $1 zoo admission this Saturday
IDAHO FALLS – Saturday, Sept. 21 is the zoo’s Community Appreciation Day which means everyone 4 and over gets in for only $1.00 and a can of food per person. Those 3 and under are free as usual. All food collected during Community Appreciation Day will be donated to the Idaho Falls Community Food Basket. This event is made possible by the generous support of Life Care Center. Zoo hours are daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. now through Oct. 6. For more information, visit the Idaho Falls Zoo online.
New pizza restaurant opens inside former Relay Station in St. Anthony
ST. ANTHONY – You may have noticed Saint Anthony has a new dining option. Mad Moose Pizza opened quietly Wednesday in the 3,200-square-foot space formerly occupied by the Relay Station. The restaurant offers custom-made New York-style pizzas and salads. They also serve breadsticks and wings and will soon have beer, desserts and other options. Mad Moose Pizza is at 593 North 2600 East in St. Anthony. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Click here for more information.
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
IDAHO FALLS
This machine helps prepare potatoes for dehydration and a local company has the largest one in the world
IDAHO FALLS — Everyone knows potatoes are one of Idaho’s largest exports, but they aren’t just leaving the state in potato sacks.
Spuds are exported in a variety of forms — and one of the most popular is as dehydrated flakes.
Idaho Steel, a company in Idaho Falls that manufactures food processing equipment, has the world’s largest drum dryer. Jon Christensen, the company’s sales and marketing director, tells EastIdahoNews.com the drum dryer is an 8-foot by 21-foot tube filled with steam that prepares potatoes for dehydration.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
INL researcher builds reactor out of LEGO, and she wants you to build one too
Snake River Landing is breaking ground on a new 3-story office building next week
Local organization invites you to ‘fall into fashion’ with the first-ever runway fashion show
More than 247,000 people attended the Eastern Idaho State Fair this year
If you have a Biz Buzz item you want to share, send it to rett.nelson@eastidahonews.com. Remember to use “Biz Buzz” in the subject line. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the free Biz Buzz email newsletter.