Chilly Billy’s Announces Both Duluth Stores Will Permanently Close

This is a real bummer for fans of frozen yogurt in the Twin Ports area.

When it comes to frozen yogurt destinations in the Twin Ports area, Chilly Billy's has become the go-to place. After nearly a decade of serving up delicious sweet treats in the Twin Ports area, the owners shared they will soon be closing both of their Duluth locations.

The family-owned company got its start in Dinkytown in the Twin Cities, with "Chilly Billy" Bill Marker and his wife Amy opening a store in 2011. Following the success of this store, they decided to expand to Duluth, opening a store near Bill's alma mater, the University of Duluth.

Chilly Billy's made its debut in the Bluestone development in the Woodland neighborhood near UMD in 2014, quickly growing in popularity to the point where Bill and Amy made the decision to close their Dinkytown location to focus on their Duluth store, eventually expanding to a second Duluth location in the food court of the Miller Hill Mall in 2018.

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Building on the success of their "build your own frozen yogurt treat" business model they had operated on for years, Chilly Billy's added a donut bar to their Bluestone location in 2022, offering a stunning variety of unique donuts along with their existing varieties of frozen yogurt and Dole whip ad and extensive toppings bar.

Despite this recent addition, the end of this franchise is reportedly in the cards, as KBJR reports the owners plan to retire. "Chilly" Bill commented that after recently becoming empty nesters, the difficult decision was made to "semi-retire" and head "closer to home".

While this is a real bummer for fans of frozen yogurt (like myself), the good news is that they'll still be open for a bit longer.

According to KBJR's story, the Bluestone location will close at the end of October 2023, while the Miller Hill Mall location will stay open through March 2024.

While I wish the best to "Chilly" Bill in his retirement, I have to say I'll miss the fun brand you brought to Duluth nearly a decade ago.