ASHEBORO, N.C. — Celebration can be very sweet, especially if there's frozen yogurt involved.
And in a sense, that's what Saturday was for Di'lishi Frozen Yogurt Bar in Asheboro, a celebration of all that's happened since Marlo Peddycord Frances opened shop nearly 8 years ago.
"I started just wanting the community to come in and go 'Wow! Where did this come from?'" Marlo explains. "And I want to be like here! It came from Asheboro!”
But this celebration is bittersweet, because it's the last day she'll be in business. Marlo gave customers about a week’s notice with a heartfelt Facebook post, topped with a lot of gratitude, explaining she'd be closing the Asheboro flagship shop for personal reasons.
"By the next morning I was just overwhelmed at the reach it had already had," she shares.
In the week leading up to the final day, she says the endless flow of customers was surreal. Many came with stories and memories. Others came with flowers, well-wishes and hugs. Of Marlo's three children, two work in the shop. All of them were there Saturday to support her.
"Somebody asked me earlier, how do you feel today? And I said pretty much the way I felt on grand opening day because all the emotions, excitement, joy and a little fear and not knowing what the next day was going to look like."
And the beginning of this journey wasn't easy. Before fro yo was ever on the mind, Marlo married her high school sweetheart Rick and had her first son. Not long after that, her husband was killed in a plane crash.
"He was killed in a plane crash here with his father in 1997," Marlo explains. "My father in law was a business owner here in town and the community just poured their love into our families during that time and it just left me with a desire at some point to do something to thank the community.”
For the past 8 years, any customer who came through the door could take a spoon and vote for the cause of their choice. As the spoons stacked up, Di’lishi would make a donation. Marlo says in all, they’ve given to dozens of organizations sprinkled throughout the community.
"I feel like this week has shown me that Di’lishi is going to carry on the heart of Di’lishi even with our doors closing for the last time.”
And as she prepares to do just that, she’s reflecting on all the good flavors that can come out of a bad bite from life.
"Memories have been made here and I don’t know how a business owner could measure success any greater, really."
Marlo says she's been working with her employees in Asheboro to find them new jobs within the company or within the Asheboro community. The other eight franchise Di'lishi locations are still open.