If you have driven by the Cotton Crossing shopping center in the past week, you have seen that the parking lot is more crowded than usual.The establishment causing the busy parking lot traffic is Starkville’s new yogurt shop, Local Culture. Bart Smith, Local Culture’s owner, has brought a twist of the yogurt world to Starkville.
  With Local Culture’s modern theme and laid-back atmosphere, it seems to be a main attraction to all people of Starkville, young and old.
  “A lot of yogurt stores are very similar to each other,” Smith said. “I wanted to separate my store to make it more my style. Instead of having bright colors and an eccentric theme, I wanted Local Culture to be a place where people could come relax.  The natural, yet refined design of the store was aimed at just that.”
  Unlike any yogurt shop Starkville has had before, Local Culture has a new style that sets it apart; Local Culture is a self-service yogurt shop. The customer walks in, gets a cup and can choose from over 10 soft-served flavors. You can pull down the lever and serve yourself as much or as little as you want. Local Culture has a variety of toppings, ranging from the old fashioned chocolate chips and candy bars to healthier choices like granola and freshly cut fruit.
  After you are done traveling through the line of frozen yogurt goodness and mounds of toppings, you are ready to check out. At 45 cents an ounce, Local Culture is an affordable price for college students and families.
  “Being self-serve, you have complete control,” Smith said. “You don’t have to stand in line and just be bored if there are 20 people in the store. There is always something to do. You’re either getting a cup, deciding what flavors to get, going down the line of machines or selecting your toppings. It’s a fun atmosphere, and giving the customer control ensures a positive experience.”
  Not only is this yogurt shop all about putting its customers in command, it is a healthy choice as well. Every ounce of the fat-free yogurt at Local Culture is only 25 calories. Also, Local Culture can be the go-to place for non-dairy lovers, health conscious customers and can even bring some of the holiday seasons to customers’ taste buds.
  “We always try to keep a dairy-free sorbet for people who are lactose intolerant,” Smith said. “We also rotate out non-sugar added flavors for people who want to watch their sugar intake, and will have seasonal flavors like pumpkin and spiced apple pie to keep people coming in for the holidays.”
  At least one of the flavors at Local Culture is switched every day or every other day. Customers can check out the change of flavors on Local Culture’s Facebook fan page, or by visiting the company’s website that is updated daily.
  Additionally, Local Culture has late hours of operation. The store is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  Another great thing about Local Culture is that it is Starkville’s own. Smith developed the business and chose Starkville to be the birthplace of the first Local Culture store.
  “Local Culture is not a franchise; everything from the name, logo, interior and the whole concept was created from scratch,” he said.
  Most would think that Local Culture is not a common name for a yogurt shop, and that Starkville would be the last place to start a locally-owned business, but Smith thinks differently.
  “The name Local Culture hints at a combination of things,” Smith said. “On one end, it incorporates the vibe and feel of the local community, but also points to the live, active cultures that exist in yogurt, which is what makes it healthy. I think that in the next five to 10 years, Starkville is going to really grow. I think there are a lot of positive things Starkville has going for it, and I don’t see another town in the SEC that is going to have the growth that Starkville will.”
  To add to Local Culture’s creative setup and system, its unique location is just as important. The location of Local Culture was done this way on purpose.
  “I like that we are not on the main street of Highway 12,” Smith said. “We are located next door to McAllister’s and Papa Johns, a couple hundred yards from campus and across from the Cotton District. Instead of being a place you pass by and stop in, we want to be a destination spot.  I wanted to be in the different, unique area, not stacked wall to wall with other businesses.”
  This uncommon location seems to be working great for Local Culture. Opening night was by far a bigger success than Smith anticipated.
  “It was very overwhelming,” Smith said. “We had to double our shifts up with employees, and literally went through what I thought would have been four days of yogurt in one day.”
  Since opening night, Local Culture has been quite the business. From families to college students, Local Culture seems to be the place to stop to get a healthy, sweet treat after a meal with the family, a place to go for small talk with a friend or the spot in general just to sit down and relax.
  “I absolutely love Local Culture and have been here twice a week since it has opened,” Lauren Rushing, a junior english major, said. “The yogurt is healthy, the atmosphere is wonderful and I am in complete control and get to choose how I want my yogurt.”
  “This store means a lot to me,” Smith said. “It is special to me.  It’s not my first business to start up, but it’s the first that I’ve gone entirely out on my own with. It’s been special to watch something develop from a piece of paper into a working product. I’ve had the most supportive team, from friends to people working at the store.  I’m very blessed and thankful for having all-American parents who were always behind me, having the best contractor one could ask for in Joe Couvillion, and for Starkville opening its arms in such a welcoming manner.  This has truly been a team effort.  Starkville is a special place with positive things happening all around.”