Sweet Scoops
Sweet Scoops opened in a corner storefront of the Hawthorne Hotel in 1982. It had been used for Russell's Ice Cream Shop in the time prior.
The owner and founder was Bob Columbo of Columbo Yogurt fame. He wanted to try his hand at frozen yogurt ice cream.
Bob Columbo was the the son of Armenian immigrants who settled in Andover. The elder Columbo began selling their product
in the Andover area in 1929. It remained local, operating out of a small plant behind the Columbo homestead until 1970.
As yogurt became more popular, Columbo became a larger and larger business with national advertising. The company became a multi-million dollar operation.
In 1993, Bob Columbo finally sold the yorgurt company to General Mills, though stayed on as a consultant for a time. He sold it with the stipulation that they
keep the same yogurt recipe.
See Also
Vertical File in Salem Collection - Businesses
"Columbo yogurt originator now producing yogurt ice cream in his Salem shop" Salem Evening News, Oct. 6, 1982, p. 28
