Oh, Sweet Bliss!
Awhile ago we came up with the notion of devoting blog posts to our customers — not so much for the bragging rights we might earn by promoting our relationships with some great local businesses, but for the opportunity to share something very near and dear to our hearts: the challenge and satisfaction of succeeding as an independently owned company.
While we appreciate the sentimentality attached to the notion of the “mom & pop business,” we know from our own experience that the reality is a bit less romantic. We also know that the “mom & pops” of the world need all the competitive advantage they can muster — and from the perspective of a local business that designs, fabricates, and services signs, we know that signage that effectively communicates who you are goes a long way toward establishing your brand in the face of corporate chains.
When local brands beat the odds, they enhance a community’s sense of identity as well as contribute to its economic wellbeing — and in the case of a family-owned frozen yogurt shop in Stanwood, Washington, becoming a vital part of its community’s identity was an intrinsic part of its business plan from the get go. In that spirit, we proudly bring you the story of Sweet Bliss and its wife and husband owners, Teresa and Erik Gladsjo.
Meet the “bliss mongers”: Erik and Teresa Gladsjo
“We had talked about opening a business for awhile,” Teresa recalls, “and when we got serious we decided that we wanted to open it in Stanwood and offer something the town didn’t have. It was our our kids who suggested frozen yogurt. We had never had it, so we went out to Just Peachy in Burlington and really liked the concept. As we researched it more, things just fell into place.”
Sweet Bliss is located in the Stanwood Towne Center
The attention to design not only gives Sweet Bliss a cheerful and welcoming ambiance, but has given many first-time customers the impression that the shop is part of a national chain.
BYOFY (Build Your Own Frozen Yogurt)
Nationally known yogurt maker Dannon supplies the cultures that Sweet Bliss uses for their serve-yourself frozen yogurt
So many toppings…so little time
The Sweet Bliss experience goes beyond the edible, however. The shop is spacious enough for parties, and friends and families can play games or simply hang out in the “conversation pit” by a cozy virtual fireplace — options that the Gladsjos believe have a lot to do with their shop’s popularity.
Gather your friends and family around the virtual fire
“We wanted a place for families to come and have a different experience from an ice cream shop, and there isn’t anywhere else in town where families can do what they can do here,” Teresa says. “There are middle school kids who have told us that their parents will only let them go here or to the library after school, so they obviously feel this is a safe place to be.”
Plenty to do…and plenty of space to do it in. Pictures of customers cover a cork board next to a pile of games.
Teresa keeps the baked goods coming out of the Sweet Bliss kitchen…along with some swag!
Thinking about their sign, Erick and Teresa find that it works well on a number of levels. To begin with, it does what every good sign should do: it gets their business noticed. “It’s effective,” Erik says. “It lights up our corner of the parking lot, and it attracts people whether they are in the shopping center or on the road.” Teresa speaks to another dimension. “I wanted it to be easy to read, and I wanted it to be ‘family friendly’ — to represent a place that looks professional as well as welcoming.” As further evidence of achieving their signage objective, Teresa notes that people new to her shop often assume that Sweet Bliss must be a franchise — proving yet again that a “mom & pop” store can run with the big dogs when they do things right.
“The food part of the business has been easy for me,” Teresa adds. “For the office part, we’ve had a lot to learn, but we’ve had a lot of support from friends and family, and also from neighboring businesses who have been really supportive in answering questions we’ve had.”
For two people imbued with a strong love of community, however, the most gratifying aspect of their new business venture has been the role it has played in the life of their community. “People tell us that we are just what this town needed,” says Teresa. “We hear that a lot, and it makes us feel really good. We provide a place where families can gather, we participate in fund raising for local schools and charities, and we are a source of starter jobs for local kids who get to learn how to work with the public as well as earn some money.”
Feeling good about the business you’re in is something we relate to at Meyer Sign & Advertising. It feels good to drive by a local business and know that we are a small, albeit highly visible, part of its success. And in the case of the Gladsjo’s shop, it feels even better to stop in and enjoy to a killer frozen yogurt. Oh, how sweet the bliss indeed.