Business & Tech

How Sweet It Is: Dundalk's sweetFrog to Open Thursday

The national chain will open a Dundalk location on Wise Avenue.

After much fanfare and anticipation, Dundalk's sweetFrog frozen yogurt shop will officially open Thursday.

Owned and managed by business partners Anna Beard and Monica Heikkinen, the store will become the 18th location of the national frozen yogurt chain in Maryland, according to a statement from the company.

"We're so excited to be bringing sweetFrog to the Dundalk area," the partners said in the statement. “We love the combination of sweetFrog’s national brand and community focus, and we think Dundalk is the perfect spot for it.”

The shop has moved into a space on Wise Avenue formerly occupied by a Quiznos, according to Patrick Beard, Anna's husband.

Late last week, the business owners and their husbands were putting finishing touches on the shop while awaiting a health department inspection, the last hurdle before being able to select a grand opening date, Patrick Beard said.

"The wives will manage and run the shop but the husbands are pitching in," he said with a laugh.

To prepare for its opening, the business partners held a hiring fair a couple of weeks ago, which met with resounding success.

"We had over 150 applicants and we hired 16 people," Patrick Beard said. "We're fully staffed and ready to go."

"sweetFrog premium frozen yogurt provides an unparalleled experience with every cup of yogurt due to its wide selection of creamy flavors, fresh topping choices and self-serve model," corporate officials wrote in a press release.

The shop will offer gluten-free, no-sugar-added and dairy-free flavors "so anyone can enjoy sweetFrog without worrying about allergens," according to the statement.

Since its founding in Richmond VA in 2009, sweetFrog has expanded to more than 250 stores in the U.S., England and the Dominican Republic, according to the statement.

Anna Beard and Heikkinen will hold a dress rehearsal before the official opening by throwing a party for a group of people who won VIP advance tickets through a contest held on the Dundalk store's Facebook page.

"That'll be fun and then we'll open to the general public Thursday morning," Patrick Beard said.

Dundalk sweetFrog Grand Opening Details:

When: 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1

Where: 7730 Wise Ave., Suite A (in the same shopping center as Little Caesar's and Liberty Tax)

What: Frozen yogurt, including regular, gluten-free, no-sugar-added and dairy-free choices.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here