Yo Go Wild's Howie Geller Eyes Commack Store

For 20 years, Howie Geller was a partner at Mace's Closeout City, a discount store with 16 locations on Long Island. Now the entrepreneur is at it again, only this time he is selling dessert at , a self-serve yogurt shop located on Commack Road in Deer Park.

Patch spoke to Geller, a Commack resident, about the new endeavor, the competition, and why so many people are eating yogurt.

Patch: There are yogurt stores popping up all over. Why? 

Geller: Part of it is people are healthier today. There is a big difference between the health benefits of ice cream and yogurt. We have had people come in and say they like ice cream better, but then they try the yogurt and walk out with a big cup of it. It's healthier.

Patch: But the toppings aren't as healthy. You have to be careful there.

Geller: Well, we have 70 toppings. Fresh strawberries, mangos, all sorts of fruit and nuts. But we also have the chocolate chips and the sprinkles. If you eat too much of that, you'll suffer the consequences! But there are plenty of healthy options.

Patch: Before this, you ran Mace's Closeout City. What happened there?

Geller: For 20 years we sold discontinued, but good, merchandise. We did it for a long time, but as the Targets came to town, and the $1 stores expanded, it became increasingly difficult to compete and find the goods. So here we are.

Patch: This store is off to a good start, isn't it? We've seen it crowded.

Geller: Yes, we are doing OK, and the good news is we haven't been through the peak season yet. We opened six months ago. So it's encouraging.

Patch: You mentioned competition with Mace's. This is turning out to be a competitive market too. Red Mango is in Tanger, and they're adding another location in North Babylon. How do you compete?

Geller: We are competing. The customers have reacted really favorably, and there seems to be a market for it. I also don't think people are going to drive into Tanger Outlets to get Red Mango. They get most of their business from people already there. But there is competition. Yogurt Crazy, which is up in Commack and has other locations, is also expanding to Deer Park. 

Patch: Speaking of expansion, do you have plans to grow Yo Go Wild?

Geller: Yes. We are looking right now. We are looking in Commack. That's one location we want to be in. We are also looking in other towns, but we don't want to talk about that yet.

Patch: That's a good sign.

Geller: Yes, it is.