CJB Sweety’s, “the sweetest place in town,” brings color and character to downtown Springfield.
The frozen yogurt parlor is co-owned by husband and wife Jack and Betty Koehler, who have been married for three years and have been nicknamed “Mr. and Mrs. Sweety” by younger customers. People of all ages, including college students, love the parlor and the experience they have there, Jack said.
The business opened on Jan. 4, and now Jack wants to get a mascot and expand the business to more locations.
“I want to open three or four of these and franchise it, as soon as financially we can,” he said. “I’d like to have a couple in Eugene.”
Jack and Betty were inspired by soft-serve parlors in California.
“There’s a lot of them down there. We really liked that idea,” Jack said.
The parlor is decorated with jellybean-shaped decorations, rainbow-colored paint, and bright tables and counter tops.
The parlor has six flavors of YoCream and is served by the ounce, “so you can get as little or as much as you want,” Betty said. There are more than 50 available toppings, and the parlor shows its team spirit with “Duck Feed,” green and yellow jellybeans, and “The Other Team Feed,” orange and black jellybeans.
“People get a kick out of this,” Jack said.
One serving of YoCream frozen yogurt at half a cup has, on average, 100 calories, zero grams of fat, five milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium and three grams of protein, according to a YoCream poster in the parlor.
“It’s fat-free, gluten-free and Kosher,” Betty said.
Betty owned Ike’s Pizza in Leaburg for 14 years, but she said working at Sweety’s is
“more fun.”
The location, on the corner of Main and Sixth streets, has proved to be profitable for the business duo.
“This is a great location,” Jack said. “It’s right on the corner. It gets a lot of notice.”
College students from around the area have been responsive to their business, Jack and Betty said. They have served University students, along with Lane Community College and Northwest Christian University students at the parlor.
“I’m surprised at how many college students come here,” Jack said.
Jack came up with the first sketches of the logo, and the couple painted the
parlor themselves.
“I painted cars for over 30 years. This comes natural,” Jack said of the creative process.
Jack and Betty’s friend Brenda Dodson designed the in-parlor TV graphics and handouts.
Sweety’s has a party room in the back of the parlor that seats up to 50 people. Jack and Betty are the only employees, but they hope to hire people when the weather gets better.
They own the building, which used to be the bar of the neighboring Noodle n Thai Restaurant.
The CJB in the parlor’s title stands for “Christ Jack Betty.”
Jack and Betty want customers to have an experience to remember when they come to Sweety’s.
“I try to create an atmosphere for people. Downtown Springfield needs this, so people can enjoy themselves. You can forget your problems for a while,” Jack said. “It seems people turn to a younger age when they come here.”
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