What’s the Word on the Street…Cleveland Street?

"Fro-Yo"

Clearwater 

For those of you who haven’t been enlightened yet it’s an abbreviation for “frozen yogurt”. So, what’s the big deal? Hasn’t frozen yogurt been around since the ‘70’s?

That’s what I thought ‘till I tried fro-yo from Caliyogurt; it is nothing like the typical over-sugared plastic tasting brands. I’ve honestly not tasted anything as delightfully habit forming as the fro-yo at Caliyogurt located in downtown Clearwater at 519 Cleveland Street.  This was pretty amazing to me, as I am not a big fan of ice cream. I only eat ice cream about three times a year; my ice cream-loving friends think I am odd for that reason.  Now I crave Caliyogurt.  I was relieved to find out that this tangy brand of frozen yogurt is All Natural and Fat Free and it has healthy active live cultures.

Upon further research, I discovered that the fro-yo “craves” have been going on in California since ca. 2005 which was where owner Phillip Park of Caliyogurt first discovered this tart-tasting creamy delectable. Being an entrepreneur Phillip seized the opportunity to create his own brand of fro-yo, now offered at his Caliyogurt stores.

When I asked why he decided to open a store in Downtown Clearwater, Phillip chuckled and said, “It was totally by accident”. He elaborated and told me that Joy Gendusa, member of the Clearwater Downtown Partnership, was referred to his Tampa location for an after dinner dessert from a neighboring restaurant.  Phillip said Joy started coming to his store regularly; “nearly every day”. Then she started bringing her other friends and associates - Jennifer Lindsay, Debbie Ward, Shannon Johnson and others- all the way from Clearwater to taste his fro‑yo. He said Karla Jo Helms brought her own cooler just so she could take back a supply of Caliyogurt to Clearwater. Finally, his new fan club started to persuade him to open a Caliyogurt location in downtown Clearwater bringing in more and more troops. How could he resist?

Many months were spent on the renovations of the space on Cleveland Street, which is a treat in itself.  Phillip collaborated with Jennifer Lindsay, Artist and project manager of Jennifer Lindsay Designs (jenniferlindsaydesigns.com) to create a beautiful and modern shop in downtown Clearwater.

“We used eco-friendly products all over the shop; our custom blend floor and counters are made out of recycled glass and mirror…We specified a unique ‘wave wall’ that is eco-friendly and some low voltage lighting, among other items. We decided to create a healthy environment in which to enjoy our healthy product! We fully accomplished this”, Jennifer Lindsay proudly reported.

On August 26th, Phillip Park celebrated the grand opening of his Downtown Clearwater Caliyogurt with City officials, other business owners and many of his newfound friends and fans.

So there you have it, we now have the first “eco-friendly” store in Downtown Clearwater, at 519 Cleveland Street. It’s a refreshing new place to enjoy guilt‑free, all-natural, fat-free, fro-yo and visit with old friends and make new ones.

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