Top this - but it won't be easy

COEUR d'ALENE - Earl and Sonie Combs love yogurt.

But there used to be another treasured treat in their lives.

"We loved ice cream first, but that's not good for us," Sonie said. "When we started tasting the new types of frozen yogurt, we went crazy over them. We became fanatical about it."

So much that they decided to operate their own frozen yogurt shop in Coeur d'Alene.

"Top This," opened recently at 202 W. Ironwood Drive in the Ironwood Shopping Center.

It's light, bright, cheery and clean, with monitors so people can see their friends and an electric fireplace for an added touch of comfort and warmth.

"It's a fun place, it's a happy place," Sonie said.

And it's working.

"People love coming back, and they're coming back over and over and over," she said. "Some people come back, two, three times a day."

Top This is simple enough to figure out.

There are 15 combined flavors, with new ones each week, and more than 65 toppings. Customers can select one of three cup sizes, fill it with the frozen yogurts of their choosing, then add all the toppings they like, from granola to gummy worms to hot fudge.

Once they're done, they weigh it, minus the cup, and pay 40 cents an ounce. A typical frozen desert would cost about $3 to $5.

"They get to handle everything," Sonie said.

Sure it tastes great, but key for the Combs is that their product is good for you. Their yogurt is certified by the National Yogurt Association, is described as calcium rich, gluten free, non- and low-fat, natural toppings and fresh fruit.

"This is a healthy treat," she said. "Health is the most important aspect for us."

The cultures in their yogurt are in excess of the minimum requirements, Sonie said.

"It's very, very good for you because of the digestion factors," she said.

Earl and Sonie consider themselves entrepreneurs. They're Realtors for Lakeshore Realty, and also own Wigs and Things at 412 W. Haycraft.

"We've always done a lot of things," she said. "It's just who we are."

Their enthusiasm and willingness to take chances and try new things was fired up when they saw the frozen yogurt concept in California. Friends operating yogurt shops in Washington and Oregon gave it rave reviews, and after researching it, the Post Falls couple pushed ahead.

"We love yogurt," Sonie said. "We love the new taste of the new frozen yogurt."

They came up with the name, "Top This."

"We always do everything the very best. That's the way we do things," Sonie said.

Both said their shop is already busy, which is how they like it.

"I like the action, I like meeting people," Earl said. "It's not a slow pace."

Top This employs 12 and will hire a few more when summer sets in.

It is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and is open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Information: 676-1199