UPDATE: Yo Factory Yogurt opened April 21, 2012.
If it seems like it's taken awhile for Yo Factory Yogurt, 2203 N. Farwell Ave., to open, you're not wrong. The place has been under construction for months, with news of it first emerging last summer.
Although a peek in the window shows that that owners, brothers Justin and Jeremy Packee and their dad Dan, have got the place in what looks to be nearly open-ready condition, a giant white "Coming Soon" sign still covers the large windows.
According to the shop's Facebook page, candy toppings were ordered in late March and the sign was delivered late last week.
Jeremy Packee told me today that the shop has been basically ready to go since early March, with the lack of sufficient power being the sole issue blocking the opening. This stumbling block has apparently been a thorn in Yo Factory's side for months now.
It seems that WE Energies needs to put a pole in the city owned parking lot behind Yo Factory that will help supply the required power for the business. In order to do that it needs an easement from the city, which has been slow in coming.
Packee hopes the issue will be resolved soon and that Yo Factory can open this month.
When it does finally open, Yo Factory – which also has a Twitter feed – will offer eight changing flavors (plus swirls), alongside a coffee bar, smoothies and baked goods from Fiddleheads.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
