As a shop owner with astute management and task delegation skills, Vena Kim often has the opportunity to leave her business to travel around Georgia and the world.
Upon visiting Woodstock, Kim became enamored with its small town atmosphere. She turned that feeling into a desire to open a Yoguri store at 440 Chambers St. which will welcome customers in March.
Yoguri offers self-served, quality, fresh yogurt desserts priced by weight. Ingredients include pure cane sugar with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.
“I took a look at Woodstock a couple years ago,” said Kim who is from Atlanta. “Looking around, I thought it was a perfect match for Yoguri. Woodstock is gorgeous.”
Kim said her business is a local company, and she intends to give back to the community.
Her Athens store, opened a year ago, has been successful catering to the college crowd and those who desire natural foods.
“The great support of our Athens store encouraged me to open the store in Woodstock,” Kim said.
Her entrepreneurial skills developed over years by watching her mother who is also a successful businesswoman.
“I grew up in a family where I watched how businesses develop, how to manage them and the trials you go through,” Kim said. Her background includes a passion for gourmet eating.
Conscious of the foods she consumes herself, Kim is also concerned about the health of customers, especially children. She said Yoguri is a great collaboration between her interests in business, physical well-being and epicurean pursuits.
Kim has lived in Egypt, traveled to Tanzania and recently returned from Kenya.
“I fell in love with and feel comfortable in Kenya and hope to open a Yoguri store there but am not sure if I could handle managing internationally,” she said.
Kim said she is excited about presenting her store to Woodstock and encourages customers to e-mail topping ideas to yoguricorporation@gmail.com.
“I look forward to introducing all sorts of wild and crazy foods in the future," she said.
