Adam Smith Brings Back Golden Spoon to River Oaks in Valencia

Jan 14, 2017Lady DucayneFood NewsComments Off on Adam Smith Brings Back Golden Spoon to River Oaks in Valencia

Call him Lucious Lyon because SCV’s very own Adam Smith has just expanded his Golden Spoon empire with a 4th location in the River Oaks shopping center (only a few doors down from Target, Valencia). His first store is in Calabasas, his second in Stevenson Ranch, the third is in Tesoro, and this one is in Valencia.

Earlier this summer I covered Adam’s inspiring story. You can read about it HERE but here’s a quick recap:

As a teenager, Adam’s first job was at the Stevenson Ranch location where he quickly moved his way up to manager. When the opportunity arose to purchase a turnkey Golden Spoon location in Calabasas, he jumped at the chance, and became an owner. When the Stevenson Ranch location became available for purchase, he couldn’t pass up the chance to own the shop where he got his start. A few years ago he caught corporate’s attention and was hired as a trainer, and then became part of the marketing department. And, it was only earlier this year that he opened his third Golden Spoon in Tesoro which he was allowed to design and was the first Golden Spoon to follow the self serve model. If you haven’t been over to the Tesoro store, it has a great aesthetic, and that look and feel will now set the tone for future Golden Spoons.

Those of us that have been around for a while will remember this River Oaks/Target location as a Penguins (I can’t be the only one that remembers the mural, amiright?). Then it was a Golden Spoon for years (I’ll never forget the red and white tile that still haunts my dreams and ALL THAT BRICK) before becoming an independent shop. Allegedly, the original owner decided to leave the franchise and create her own brand (Valencia Yogurt Company). It didn’t work out, and when the landlord offered the space to Adam, in order to bring Golden Spoon back to the shopping center, he turned them down. After taking some time to think about it, Adam had a change of heart and decided to go for it. So now, he owns all 3 Golden Spoon locations in Santa Clarita and 1 in Calabasas. This is a great thing because now you can be assured that the machines will be clean and he will maintain the highest standards. I’m just saying…

My first experience with Golden Spoon was at the Target River Oak’s shopping center many years ago. At the time it was the go to spot after school and I remember going there with friends and thinking how dated the place looked. As time passed, I felt the yogurt didn’t taste that great anymore, so I stopped going. When it changed names I didn’t even bother trying it, since I knew it was the same ownership.

When Adam first got the keys to this location, he had a lot of work ahead of him, starting with a power washer. You might remember this location had A LOT of brick and a lot of red. That is all gone, and has been replaced with a modern clean (literally the place is clean now) look. The tile and marble combined with artistic touches that are DIY projects Adam created himself really make it a welcoming shop. It really looks like a Pinterest board come to life. I love it. The first thing I heard people say as they came in today was “wow this place is beautiful!” and it truly is. The space was run down and unkept, and Adam has truly transformed the shop.

When Adam designed the layout, he made the counter for the toppings into an island that allows you to approach it from all sides. Long are the days of having to reach under the sneeze guard to reach the toppings on the back. Now you can simply walk around and have easy access from all sides. This will come in especially handy for people with T-Rex arms (like me).

There are currently 42 different toppings and 10 different froyo flavors at any given time. The flavors rotate, but today they had my favorite: European Tart + Mai Tai.

What I think sets this Golden Spoon (and the Tesoro store) apart in Santa Clarita, is the attention to detail. Yes, there are many shops in town, but with Golden Spoon you have the story of a guy that has such a great success story. And he truly cares about his stores. He is in his early 20s and has overcome so much to be where he is today.

The gorgeous signs throughout the store were custom made by Weathered Signs, which is the same company that makes the Brandy Melville signs.

When I visited today, the door was unlocked but it was very much a soft opening. And every single person I saw come in expressed their excitement to see Golden Spoon back. People were also surprised to see that it was now a self serve shop, but it was perceived as being a good thing. In case you are new to the self serve model, you grab a cup, get some froyo, add your toppings, and you are charged by weight. Also, be sure to grab a punchcard because you’ll definitely be a regular. Especially after a Target run!