Who's Behind the Counter: Tobin Bell at uSpoon

When you walk into the new Owings Mills uSpoon, you will be greeted with a “hello” and a smile from a friendly face. One of these friendly faces might be Tobin Bell, an employee at the yogurt, cereal, and coffee bar.

Having worked at uSpoon since it’s opening in January, Bell had a difficult time hiding her love for her job as she described her customers and their yogurt creations.

A student at DePauw University, Bell sat down with the Patch to talk about her favorite aspects of her job, how uSpoon can appeal to children as well as college students and more.

Patch: How long have you been working at uSpoon?

Bell: I’ve been working here since the day it opened, which is January 12th.

What are some of the things you enjoy about your job?

I love my coworkers. I love my manager. I really like the feel of the place, and I really like to see people’s faces when they walk in for the first time. They get so excited.

What is your favorite part of working at uSpoon?

Interacting with the customers, I really like that. I like seeing the different things that people make because they all make really cool, different stuff.

How are the customers?

Generally, they’re very nice. They are very complimentary of the place. They seem to love it. The kids love it a lot.

So would you say uSpoon is kid-friendly?

Definitely. Everything is self-serve, so the kids love to do that. And the candy is on their level, so they can easily access it.

What about the other end of the spectrum? Do you get a lot of the Stevenson crowd?

A whole lot. During the school year, they come a lot during the weekends, like Friday and Saturday nights. We’re open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

What is the first thing you do after you get home from work?

Work out. I got to the gym. If it’s sunny, I’ll go outside.

What else do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to go shopping. I like to read. I read a lot of philosophy books.

What do you think sets uSpoon apart from other frozen yogurt places?

We offer coffee and cereal too, so that’s unique. We also have a huge selection of candy. That’s completely different from most places. Most places, you walk in, they have a small topping bar and stuff like that, but we have so much to choose from, so that sets us apart I think.

Why should people stop by uSpoon?

I think people, if they haven’t come in, they should come in and at least give it a try. It’s a lot of fun. It’s an experience. It’s not just coming in to get your food and ordering. You get to do it yourself, so it’s an experience more than anything.

What are some of your favorite yogurt flavors?

Right now, I really enjoy the strawberry. It’s no sugar added, so that’s really good. Also, the cherry amaretto-- I like that one too.