Owner Corrie Bernatchez (3rd from l.) recently celebrated the grand opening of her new Top It Frozen Yogurt Bar at 168 Main Street in Auburn with the help of (l. to r.) Regional Image Committee Chairwoman Hillary Dow; City of Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald; Maine Gourmet Chocolates owner Stephanie Bernatchez; Community Concepts Business Loan Officer Joe Balchunas; City of Auburn Mayor Jonathan P. LaBonte; City of Auburn Economic Development Specialist Alan Manoian; and Andro. County Chamber of Commerce President Chip Morrison (Photo courtesy of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council).

Top It Frozen Yogurt Bar recently celebrated its official grand opening at 168 Main Street in Auburn with the help of family, friends, and city officials.
The frozen yogurt bar will offer eight flavors of frozen yogurt, four twists, and over 20 different toppings, allowing customers to create a staggering array of flavor combinations.
Purchased by weight at .47 cents per ounce, the yogurt bar is entirely self-serve. Customers select one of three different sized containers, choose a flavor from the four frozen yogurt dispensers mounted on the back wall, and then finish off their personalized creation with a variety of seasonally adjusted toppings.

The enterprise is the brainchild of owner Corrie Bernatchez, a 22 year-old entrepreneur, college student, and resident of Auburn, who envisioned the eatery as a fun place for children and families. Her own family and community ties were an inspiration for the business.
“A cornerstone of any downtown is a business that provides a place to kick back, relax, and enjoy a treat with family and friends” said Bernatchez. “After helping my family open Maine Gourmet Chocolates in late 2010, I thought to myself ‘If anyone’s going to open a business like this in Auburn, why not me?’ So I pitched the idea, worked through the struggles, and now own a business I’m proud of.”
Bernatchez will share the space, located just steps from Auburn City Hall, the river walk, and – increasingly popular as a recreation spot – the Androscoggin River, with her mother, Stephanie Bernatchez, owner of Maine Gourmet Chocolates.
“To make this work, we needed something more than just frozen yogurt to draw customers to our store,” said the younger Bernatchez. “We evaluated our competition within the area and saw that our family could take advantage of a real opportunity in the downtown by combining both of our stores into one convenient location.”
Encouraged by the influx of new businesses, city officials highlighted recent progress and ongoing revitalization efforts within the downtown.
“A downtown starts to come alive when retail shops open their doors and spread their welcome mats out on the sidewalks,” said City of Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte. “The opening of Top It Frozen Yogurt Bar represents this type of growth along our Main Street. We wish them success, and we hope that success brings additional investors to the neighborhood.”
Open year round with both indoor and outdoor seating, Bernatchez plans to host birthday parties, children’s parties, baby showers, anniversary parties, group events and more in the coming weeks.
“It was my goal to create a place where customers could come in and sit, talk, and enjoy all that the downtown has to offer,” she added. “This is my passion, and I love being in business here. If we are able to communicate that enthusiasm to each and every customer that walks through the doors, then I think we’ll be doing something right as a business.”
Top It Frozen Yogurt Bar is open seven days a week from noon until 9 p.m. For more information, call (207) 241-0434, like them on Facebook at “TopItFroyoBar,” or see http://topit-froyobar.com.