Golden Spoon opens this weekend in Stapleton

There are several frozen-yogurt shops opening soon in Denver, but possibly none so ambitious as Golden Spoon, which will open its first Mile High City outpost -- and fifth Colorado location -- this weekend in Stapleton at 7505 East 35th Avenue. And Mike and Julie Haslar, the franchisees behind the expansion, aren't stopping there: The couple has plans to open a total of thirty Golden Spoons over the next few years.

"We looked around Denver, and there weren't a whole lot of options for frozen yogurt," says Mike of the decision to commit to opening so many spots in this market. "We'd spent a lot of time in Southern California, and we fell in love with the product -- our kids loved it as much as In-N-Out and Trader Joes."

"They're really excited to be here," adds CJ Powell, who does public relations for the franchisees. "They see Colorado as a really good fit."

Golden Spoon is a Southern California-based institution more closely aligned with a traditional ice cream shop experience than the self-serve frozen-yogurt joints that have become increasingly popular. Most shops offer somewhere between twelve and sixteen flavors, most of which are non-fat, and a slew of toppings, including candy and fresh fruit. Powell says the sweet spot for the chain is the old-fashioned vanilla. He also notes that some shops have added tart frozen yogurts, since those have really taken off.

The Stapleton store is the last to open of the first five planned by the Haslars (the others are in Centennial, Broomfield, Arvada and Fort Collins). And with the yogurt machines revving up there this weekend, they're already looking to what's next.

"They're currently deciding where to launch the next set," says Powell, noting that while he has no idea what they'll eventually come up with, cities like Boulder might be in play. Mike says that the franchisee agreement covers everything from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs and that they're exploring Highlands Ranch, Parker and Littleton in addition to Louisville and Lafayette.

"We've got to get through the summer first," he says. "I don't want to be under construction and figuring out operations at the same time."