You’ve heard of the X Factor but what about the Y Factor? Yogism is more than just a dollop of yoghurt. It’s a place of calm in the centre of Dublin where customers can enjoy breakfast, waffles, a drink or, most popularly, yoghurt of their selected flavour, size and topping. I met Stephen O’Dwyer (the creator) carrying Rosie (the dog) under his arm as he strolled into George’s Street Arcade, where it all began for him a few years ago. Over a cup of coffee, I got to learn something about the entrepreneur’s beginnings.
What inspired you to bring the concept of Yogism back from New York?
I definitely noticed a gap in the market. I had trained as an accountant and once I qualified I was keen to get out of accountancy. I was looking to find something; I didn’t know whether that would be to start my own business or to get a job in a different field. When I saw frozen yoghurt over in America, it just seemed, from my point of view, to be quite self-explanatory. I just thought that if I am going to go and do something on my own, this seems like a great start-up business and it’s a lot of fun. People were loving it over there and I just thought yeah, I like this.
Did it take long to crack the market?
It took a long time. Obviously it was my first business so I didn’t know a lot. I sort of thought that you open the doors and people start to trickle in but, we opened in the depths of winter and didn’t really do any marketing. I mean, we got a Facebook page going but other than that we didn’t really do anything so it took a while to figure out that you actually have to put the word out or else nobody is going to come. It took a while and was a steep learning curve.
What is your best method of advertising?
Still social media to be honest. I’ve sort of stopped using Facebook because it’s all paid but in terms of bang for your buck, it actually goes a long way versus spending money on advertising elsewhere. You know, it actually is getting put in front of people and it’s getting put in front of your target market if you want it to.
Has health always been an important factor for Yogism?
Well we looked around and found that we had a health food-blogger and a nutritionist on staff and it sort of trickled down to all the staff. We were all eating healthily, going to Blazing Salads every day and Alchemy when it opened, places like this. We decided from there to venture into breakfast, we were already doing yoghurt and tried to tie it in as much as possible but certainly to tie in an emphasis on healthiness.
How do you feel about the less healthy toppings?
I think Yogism understands what it is. Our breakfast offering is very healthy but we’re under no illusions about the frozen yoghurt and the toppings. It is a treat and we’re not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. It’s all about balance.
What is your reaction to the backlash currently occurring against dairy?
Well, yeah, I don’t 100% understand it. I turned to Lisa, who is our nutritional therapist, and asked her about it. What she said was that if you drink an awful lot of milk, the hormones that are pumped into cows can be damaging, particularly for women. However, if you’re sticking to a glass or two a day, it shouldn’t be an issue. I don’t know, I’m not saying that the avoidance of dairy isn’t legitimate, I’m just saying that I don’t understand it.
So, you haven’t felt the effects of the gaining popularity of these ‘free-from’ diets?
We’ve produced a tropical-flavoured, coconut milk-based option that is selling really well and people are definitely coming in especially for it. I suppose in that regard, we’ve noticed it a little bit and have been able to cater to it. We also have our own coconut yoghurt for breakfast which is popular, predominantly among vegans.
You’ve opened a new shop nearer to us at Trinity that is also in close proximity to Mooch, have you noticed any thinning of your customer base as a result of this fro-yo rivalry?
I haven’t noticed any thinning. The only comparison I can make is between George’s Street Arcade this year and last year and we’re actually improving all the time. I think we’re quite different to Mooch, to be honest. Other than the core that is frozen yoghurt and having a lot of similar toppings, everything else I would consider to be quite different in the vibe, aesthetic, the atmosphere….it’s a different experience I would like to think. There’s enough for everyone anyway, it’s Dublin city centre and a big market.
How did the “guess the weight” gimmick emerge?
My friend who lives in Australia was Skyping me one day and I was telling him about the ins and outs of Yogism and I said that I needed something, some sort of gimmick, because at the time Jo’Burger was doing Tweet-seats which was a really big thing. I needed a hook to get Yogism talked about because we were in the arcade which is off the beaten track and we didn’t have any budget for advertising or anything. We were coming up with different things and he eventually landed on that which was perfect. It almost immediately exploded from there.
How many people actually guess the weight?
About three guess it every day and on a busy day, seven or eight. I mean, it’s costing us money but at the end of the day it’s a very big part of who we are now so it’s going nowhere.
Is there a close sense of community in the Arcade?
Yeah but more so the whole of this area; out onto Drury Street, out onto Castle Market. Everybody sort of gets to know everybody if you’re there for any length of time. There’s definitely a little community for sure, it’s nice.
Have you any advice for students reading this on how to start-up their own business?
Stephen requested some time to mull this over as he didn’t want to “sound too corny”. He emailed me later, saying: My advice would be to find something that you know you’re going to enjoy or even love as it would make all the stresses that bit easier.
With a second shop on Dawson Street, Yogism is now even easier for Trinity students to get to, with the added bonus of being able to take your treat to-go and wander through Stephen’s Green.
