Q&A with Matt Meinema of PEARings Frozen Yogurt & Beyond

Frozen yogurt spots are taking over the city and suburbs, but first-time restaurant owner Matt Meinema believes he’s on the right track to offer something slightly different. Meinema filled us in on what we can expect at PEARings Frozen Yogurt & Beyond (6 W. Washington St., 317-608-6456).

Trisha Brand: How did PEARings come about?

Matt Meinema: Last spring, I was at a transition spot with my previous job [in finance and accounting]. I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve been living downtown for two years. I love frozen yogurt, but there was nothing that was, in my mind, walkable.

TB: This is a far departure from a world of crunching numbers. Does anyone have industry experience?

MM: We brought in a partner, Robert Park, who has operated a few frozen yogurt stores. My sister, who has been a manager at Mo’s Southwest Grill in Lafayette, will act as our manager.

TB: How will PEARings be different?

MM: For starters, breakfast. We’re adding a bar with three hot cereals: steel-cut oats, traditional oats, and a gluten-free option. We’ll also have granolas and other cereals you can mix with Traders Point Creamery yogurt. We’ll have coffee, espresso, crepes, and smoothies for the breakfast time, as well. We’ve partnered with Hubbard & Cravens coffee, and they’re going to be roasting a special blend for us.

TB: What about lunch?

MM: For lunch, we’ll have sandwiches and wraps through a local vendor that uses Traders Point and Smoking Goose. They’ll be made fresh in the morning and delivered. We’ll have four types of wraps, two salads, a hummus-and-veggie plate, and a cheese-and-cracker plate.

TB: What about the fro-yo?

MM: We’ll have 10 flavors with a third flavor being the twist. We’ll rotate about 40 flavors through the seasons. The toppings will be pretty standard. We’ll have the decadent flavors, but we’ll also have the fresh fruits, lots of granolas and cereals, and we’ll experiment with chia seeds and flax seeds.

TB: How will your frozen yogurt shop be different?

MM: Our whole atmosphere will be different. When you go to a typical frozen yogurt store, it’s very loud and bright and not very warm and inviting. You don’t want to stay very long. Our whole thing is, come sit down and stay. We’ll have Wi-Fi and comfortable seating for about 50, plus a patio.

TB: When will you open?

MM: Assuming everything goes as planned, in mid-May.