MOULTRIE, Ga. – It’s about the love of frozen yogurt … and a dinosaur.

And so Moultrie has a new frozen yogurt shop to fill a void for those looking for healthy dessert treats. It’s called Purple Dots located on First Avenue Southewast; just look for the signs along the highway pointing the direction to the quaint little shop run by Willie Turner of Albany.

Purple Dots opened in August, four months after Turner’s projected starting date. Unfortunately several businesses had to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Turner waited things out and was finally able to welcome customers inside. Once there, they can choose from a variety of flavors from the old favorites vanilla, chocolate and strawberry to tangy sorbets of pink lemonade and watermelon.

In January, Turner retired from UPS.

“I basically ate yogurt every day,” he said. “So I said, ‘If you’re going to start a business, do something you have a passion for.’ That led me to Moultrie.”

So Turner went looking to see if Moultrie had frozen yogurt shops and found none. Then he looked up the population and found that it’s between 48,000 and 49,000 in Colquitt County. He felt that was perfect for such a shop. The next thing he needed to find was a good location, one that let people get in and out easily.

With all of that settled, Turner got with local contractors and health inspectors and qualified himself for all the necessary food service certificates.

“Right now, I’m all in,” said Turner.

And then came the delay.

“Prior to them announcing we had a pandemic, two weeks earlier I signed a lease for 15 months for this property,” said Turner. “A month earlier I bought all the equipment. I just thought it was the end of the world. I made a bad investment. Because they are shutting everything down, there’s no way I’ll be able to survive. I had a time span I was working in.

“I was looking at opening in April. I was trying to get in with the spring and summer months. But I hung on and was able to open the third week in August. I was so surprised at the people who flooded in. ‘What took you so long to get this place opened?’ So far, so good. I have a long ways to go. I am sustaining myself.

“I hope to become a part of Moultrie. I’m looking at becoming more entrenched in the community, to be a support system and provide a good service.”

And now for the name, Purple Dots. Turner’s children are a fan of a certain fictional dinosaur that grew into prominence in the 1990s.

“The whole idea of purple evolved from a character,” said Turner. “My kids were fascinated by him. I brainstormed over and over again. What can I do to create a family environment, a wholesome environment? I got the color purple, now what do I need to add to it? It just dawned on me one day, dots. I think that would be the perfect name for a frozen yogurt shop, and it’s unique. I’m getting very good reviews on the name itself. The kids get excited just seeing purple dots on the wall.”

The number of signs telling drivers on First Avenue about where frozen yogurt is grew from one to several over two months. Turner said he’s relied on that as well as word-of-mouth and the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce for helping market Purple Dots.

“I’m slowly trying to build a business through being involved in the community,” said Turner. “I can meet nice people, nice families. I’m doing everything I can to make sure the store’s a success, not only for myself but for the community.”

Purple Dots features self-serve dispensers for 12 different flavors, and Turner looks for non-dairy products. He’s currently looking for sugar-free fare for diabetic customers. Sorbets are a good choice for the lactose intolerant.

“They’re all good,” said Turner. “We have about 18 different toppings you can finish off a product with. They are all very delicious.

“My favorite is cookies and cream.”

Unfortunately, at the time he was talking about his store that machine was down, but Turner is hoping repairmen have it flowing again soon. His second choice is white chocolate. It would also be a good in mid- to late November to try pumpkin pie, and in December his plan is to rotate other holiday related flavors like egg nog.

“Customers seem to get excited about that,” said Turner. Cheesecake and birthday cake are others people have a hard time walking away from.