Boom Yogurt Bar now dishing the healthy and sweet in Boulder

Steve Z Photography

Toppings abound at Boom Yogurt Bar.

"A couple years ago, my wife and I went to a yogurt bar in Arizona and loved it," says Matty Reed, who co-owns the shop with his wife, Kelly. "Before we opened we were going to other places three or four times a week. We really wanted to open a yogurt shop, and a lot have come in this year. We said, 'If we're going to do it, we have to do it now because so many other shops are coming in.'"

Matty is a triathlete who competed in the 2008 Olympics; yogurt has always been one of his preferred training foods. He still trains full-time and hopes to make his Ironman debut in about four weeks in Hawaii. The shop gets its name from Matty's nickname, "Boom-Boom."

The Reeds signed a lease in June and got the place open as quickly as they could. Boom held a friends and family opening on Friday before the couple knew how to use one vital piece of equipment. "We didn't really know how to work the cash registers, so quite a few people got some free yogurt," Matty explains.

While it does serve frozen yogurt, Boom also has a nice selection of yogurt and cottage cheese, and plenty to top them with. "The idea behind it was the toppings had a huge variety, and there was nothing processed or made with high fructose corn syrup," says Kelly. They try to use as many local ingredients as possible, such as yogurt from Horizon and Sinton, nut butters from Justin's, cake toppings from Kim & Jake's cakes and chocolate toppings from Chocolove and Concertos in Chocolate.

The Reeds put a lot of thought into the feel of the restaurant, and built locally when they could. Boulder Elements made the furniture, and beetle-kill wood from Four Mile Canyon was used in much of the construction. Matt and Kelly also worked hard on the acoustics, ensuring that customers could hold a conversation while still hearing the music.

Steve Z Photography

Opening weekend at Boom Yogurt Bar.

"We just wanted it to be a place where people can come, get something real to eat, hang out and meet with friends," says Kelly. "We want it to be relaxing, peaceful, and happy. Two moms came in over the weekend and dropped off their kids, who did homework while they shopped. We thought, 'That's why we made the shop.'"