The world was a very different place in 1987.
The Bangles had the world walking like Egyptians. Patrick Swayze declared that nobody puts Baby in a corner. Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Ronald Reagan was President, and a gallon of gas cost about 89 cents.
Here in Downtown Phoenix, a friendly neighborhood frozen yogurt shop opened its doors under the name A Touch of Yogurt.
A lot has changed in Downtown Phoenix since September 1987, but A Touch of Yogurt is still going strong in its original location on First Avenue and Washington Street. For the past 30 years, the legacy downtown establishment has been serving delicious frozen yogurt and other sweet treats from its quaint storefront.
This month, A Touch of Yogurt is marking its 30th Anniversary, and to celebrate, owners Marcia and John Bruno are dropping the price of the six-ounce junior size yogurt back to 99 cents — the price it was in 1987.
Over the years, Marcia and John have seen the tremendous evolution of Downtown Phoenix. Although they’re not the original owners (they purchased it in 2000), Marcia has been downtown since the beginning. She was part of the team that opened Tom’s Tavern right next door in 1988.
“That was before the arena, the stadium,” Marcia said. It was also well before light rail and CityScape existed.  And even though downtown has changed, some things have stayed the same.
“It was fun,” Marcia said. “Everybody knew everybody.”
A Touch of Yogurt’s high-quality product (it uses real yogurt with live active cultures), fair prices and unforgettable customer service have contributed to its longstanding success.
But from Marcia’s point of view, there’s one more thing that has made all the difference:
“We have the best customers in here,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them we’d be gone.”
A Touch of Yogurt’s 30th Anniversary special is valid in-store only, and one per person, per day. Follow A Touch of Yogurt on Facebook for a list of its daily specials and flavors.
Hours: Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Labor Day.