Local Culture bringing healthy eating to Coast

By GEORGIA SPARLING - Special to the Sun Herald

OCEAN SPRINGS -- With locations in D’Iberville and Oceans Springs, Local Culture is bringing delicious healthy eating in the form of froyo to the Coast.

Aaron Ready, who grew up on the Coast and owns the two stores, said, “We feel like the Mississippi Coast is a growing area and is the perfect place for our concept. With its recent and continuing growth, we think it is a good fit for our business.”

The first Local Culture opened in October 2010 in Starkville. Bart Smith, one of the entrepreneurs behind the brand, said the company follows the philosophy that “eating healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing delicious.”

“We are not a franchise and thus not locked into using one line of product. We simply use the best,” he said.

After months of seeing their advertisements, I was excited to dip my spoon into some frozen creaminess.

Like many frozen yogurt shops, Local Culture is self-serve and you pay by the weight. Stacks of dangerously large bowls and a row of delicious flavors do make it difficult to stay conservative with your portions, but since the flavors are low or nonfat, it’s hard to feel guilty.

Once you’ve got your yogurt, Local Culture offers a bevy of more than 40 fresh fruit, nut and candy toppings.

I tasted the popular white chocolate mousse, Tahitian French vanilla and macadamia nut, which all had velvety textures akin to their soft-serve ice cream cousins.

While those were good, I prefer my froyo simple and tangy. I chose the California tart flavor, and it did not disappoint. I admit I got a little carried away with the toppings, filling my bowl with fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and pineapple.

Even with my slight indulgence, I didn’t graze the $4 mark.

As I sat down to enjoy my probiotic-infused treat, I appreciated the shop’s spacious, calm feel.

“We wanted to design our stores a little different than the current trend. We put a lot of effort into all aspects,” Ready said.

Thankfully, that means the shops are almost completely void of blinding neon.

“People come to Local Culture not just for yogurt, they come to hang out with friends, read a book. It’s somewhere to relax,” Smith said.

Daily flavors are posted on the site’s Facebook page.

Read The Full Story

dessert destination

by Shaila Creekmore, photo by Dero Sanford

Jonesboro’s newest dessert destination has come to town at the direct request of residents for a self-serve yogurt shop, and two short months after opening its doors, Local Culture is an obvious hit.

After hearing many say they would enjoy such a business in Jonesboro, long-time Jonesboro businessman James McDaniel went on the hunt for the perfect business model. His search led him to Starkville, Miss., where McDaniel met Bart Smith. Smith had just opened Local Culture in October 2010, and McDaniel was impressed by his operation.

“Bart has a better grasp of the frozen yogurt business than anyone I’ve seen,” said McDaniel. “His formula for the setup of the store is the best.”

The two formed a fast friendship and quickly began discussing the possibility of opening a second location for Local Culture in Jonesboro. McDaniel and a silent Jonesboro partner decided on a space located between IO Metro and Seattle Grind on Stadium Boulevard, just up the street from McDaniel’s other business, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and opened Local Culture on May 3.

Read The Full Story

Starkville gets ‘culture’ with opening of new business

By Kristin Long of "The Reflector"

If you have driven by the Cotton Crossing shopping center in the past week, you have seen that the parking lot is more crowded than usual.The establishment causing the busy parking lot traffic is Starkville's new yogurt shop, Local Culture. Bart Smith, Local Culture's owner, has brought a twist of the yogurt world to Starkville.

With Local Culture's modern theme and laid-back atmosphere, it seems to be a main attraction to all people of Starkville, young and old.

"A lot of yogurt stores are very similar to each other," Smith said. "I wanted to separate my store to make it more my style. Instead of having bright colors and an eccentric theme, I wanted Local Culture to be a place where people could come relax. The natural, yet refined design of the store was aimed at just that."

Unlike any yogurt shop Starkville has had before, Local Culture has a new style that sets it apart; Local Culture is a self-service yogurt shop. The customer walks in, gets a cup and can choose from over 10 soft-served flavors. You can pull down the lever and serve yourself as much or as little as you want. Local Culture has a variety of toppings, ranging from the old fashioned chocolate chips and candy bars to healthier choices like granola and freshly cut fruit.

Read The Full Story