RICHARD NAVA
Staff Writer
Whether looking for a place to get off campus for a while, a cool spot to hang out with friends or just a sugar high, Malibu Yogurt is the place to be. Malibu Yo, as it is affectionately called, offers Pepperdine students and Malibu locals a friendly place to enjoy a warm atmosphere with cold eats.
The face behind the place, Diana Nielsen, owner of Malibu Yogurt, has created a business that is unique, vibrant and keeps customers coming back for more.
Nielsen grew up in Studio City, Calif. and attended UCLA, where she majored in English.
She has lived in the Malibu area now for 24 years, and will celebrate Malibu Yogurt’s 20th anniversary this December.
Nielsen is a self-described independent businesswoman who has managed to keep her business alive and well while others have come and gone.
Though her husband, Baird, helps out behind the scenes, Nielsen says the business is all hers.
“He really has nothing to do with the store, but he’s a fabulous handy-man and a good sport about it,” Nielsen said.
“I always wanted to go into business,” she said. “I’m very easy going when it comes to my workers, but not when it comes to running my store.”
Nielsen said her employees are part of what makes her business so enjoyable. And according to Nielsen, Pepperdine workers have been some of her favorites.
“I absolutely love Pepperdine students,” Nielsen said, “If I owned this store in Westwood, I’d probably hire one of 20 students from my alma mater. But here I hire almost every Pepperdine student who applies.”
Nielsen says she works around the Pepperdine schedule to ensure the happiness of her employees.
“Sometimes I have to work a little harder to accommodate their schedules, but it’s absolutely worth it,” Nielsen said. “Pepperdine students have fabulous values, which are the same values I have.”
Her dedication to her business and commitment to her workers has definitely paid off. Employee and Pepperdine junior, Nick Porter said working at the store has been a great way to get dates.
“It’s amazing. Diana is super generous and she’s so freaking awesome,” he said.
Though Nielsen’s store has been in Malibu almost 20 years, it was not always located where it is now. When the store first opened it was in the Malibu Country Mart.
“We started out where the Coffee Bean was because none of this existed then,” Nielsen said.
However, after the Ralph’s shopping center was built, Nielsen decided to open a second store in the Colony, where it remains today. The two stores were open simultaneously for six years, until the original Malibu Yogurt closed.
“The business works because I’m here,” Nielsen said. “There used to be yogurt shops on every corner. Everyone thought they could open a store and make a lot of money sitting at home. Now there are hardly any yogurt stores around. Absentee ownership just doesn’t work. You can’t run a business if you aren’t there.”
Nielsen said she plans on being here for a long time to come. “I used to think I’d buy this store, build it up and sell it, but it just became too much fun. This really is the most fabulous business in the world, and it truly keeps me young.”
Nielsen has a new lease approaching in a year and a half, and she assures students that she will definitely sign it. This is great news for Nielsen’s customers who say they can’t get enough of her frozen treats.
“I come down here whenever I get that special craving that only Malibu Yo can satisfy,” sophomore Anna-Marie Mclaurin said. “I like cookies and mint with brownies and fudge … lots of fudge.”
Being surrounded by countless choices of yogurt flavors and toppings, selecting a favorite is no easy task, but Nielsen does have her own top pick.
“If I started this store selling my favorite flavor, I would have gone out of business 20 years ago,” Nielsen said. “We only sell it about once a month, but my favorite flavor is chocolate-orange.”
By balancing customer relations, employee satisfaction and top quality confections, Diana Nielsen has created a place for people to literally chill out while having a “fabulous” time.
04-13-2006
