Quest for Zoyo FroYo Gourmet Toppings Creates Nostalgia
Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt Store Owner Explores Virginia’s Farm Land to Bring the Best Gourmet Toppings
Traveling down on route 460 you can feel Virginia at its finest. Passing historic sites town after town excites me even more to reach my final destination. As I depart from Fort Lee and the Petersburg national battle site, history is already being told on my journey. Passing towns like Waverly, and signs that point to Surry and Jamestown I'm reminded just how old Virginia is. And just as I realize how old Virginia is, I also see how some things stay the same. Farmers continue to plant their crops and prepare to reap their harvests in the fall, just as they did 300 years ago. I'm awestruck and proud when I gaze across the fields of corn and grain, as well as America’s first peanut farms.
Today's mission is to secure some of those peanuts. And for Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt, in Suffolk, Virginia, we have selected Plantation Peanuts from Wakefield, Virginia as the store’s gourmet topping, which by the way-- are a Virginia Finest® food. To be deemed a Virginia Finest® Food, it has to meet or exceed quality standards that are part of the Virginia Finest® program, and must be approved by the Virginia’s Finest® Review Committee. Virginia’s Finest® products have been deemed the best of the best! Upon entering the city limits of Wakefield, the pride of the peanut is prevalent. Wakefield Peanuts, Virginia Diner Peanuts, and today's pick Plantation Peanuts, line the streets with their old fashioned signs. Walking into the store it has an air of nostalgia. It's an even more special this day because I brought my two-year-old daughter to shop for peanuts with me. She's excited, because like most of the retail peanut stores there are plenty of samples to be had. The friendly staff goes to the back to bring out Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt’s packaged peanuts. We've carefully selected four of what we think are their best. Chocolate covered peanuts, butter toffee peanuts, old-fashioned salted peanuts, and our ultimate favorite-- caramel apple peanuts are brought out for our journey to the store. As I load the boxes of peanuts into my car, I know that these peanuts will make many customers happy.
We depart from the rich farmland to make our way closer to Zoyo, the fields slowly reveal signs of industry and a metropolitan thriving community—The Hampton Roads. Before long, the Chesapeake Bay is in sight, and I'm once again reminded of just how important and historic this economic gateway to America is. I pull into the parking lot of Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt and greet my wife who manages the store. I smile as I watch my daughter run to give her a hug. I unload the boxes, and refill one of our topping trays with a fresh batch of caramel apple peanuts. Of course, as an owner of the store, I must sample the product to deem it fit for consumption for customers. Without a doubt they are satisfying! Even more satisfying when I reflect on the journey we took to bring these Virginia Finest® peanuts to our Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt store in Suffolk, Virginia.
To learn more about Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt a Veteran-Owned Business and check out their great Military Discount visit them on MB!