Stepping into the new Planet Swirl frozen yogurt shop on East Main Street in Ramsey in almost like stepping into another world; a very tasty, hip other world.

Mahwah mom of four Laura Rose, who opened the new shop last weekend with her husband Dave and several other partners, said she wanted a “cool theme” running throughout the eatery. “We started with the name, and we knew we wanted a celestial theme with a very hip, trendy look.”

She said the owners hope the décor appeals to individuals and families of all ages. “It’s a cool hangout, whether kids come here after school, adults when they need to get some work done or relax, or families to do something nice together.”

While taking in the interplanetary surroundings, patrons are invited to use the shop’s self-serve frozen yogurt machines, which at any given time dispense 21 of the stores 100 flavors. Then, customers move on to the topping bar, which has over 70 toppings ranging from fresh fruit to candy and cake bits.

Every frozen yogurt variety the shop carries is low or nonfat. Planet Swirl also has  sugar free varieties, and sorbet for lactose intolerant customers. “Frozen yogurt is a healthier alternative, and on top of that we wanted to add options for people who have restrictive diets,” Rose said. “We really want to make this a place everyone can come to for a tasty snack and a fun time.”

Rose said she and her husband Dave, who have lived in Mahwah since 1994, got the idea for the shop after seeing a much smaller version of one during a trip to Florida. “We just thought the self-serve aspect was so cool. Who can make your frozen yogurt better than you can?” she said. “So, we thought, we should open this up, provide lots of seating, a good theme, and really brand it. We don’t have anything like this in our area, so we decided to go for it.”

The couple teamed up with friends and partners Karen and Eugene Emmit, Mike Zell and Wayne Fowler to turn the idea into a reality very quickly. “We saw the shop in Florida in October, and now it’s May and we are opening one of our own,” Rose said.

The shop plans to add in a party room to house birthday parties, and add free WiFi through the whole shop. “This area is such a family-friendly place, so we want to make this as welcoming as possible for families,” she said.

Rose - who still works as a Lia Sophia jewelry salesperson with a team of 200 salespeople under her, and has four kids ranging in age from one to 15 – said she’s excited about adding the new shop to her already busy plate.

“I’ve got great partners, and this is just a fun business. We want to be the frozen yogurt brand, and we really think that people will love coming here. We actually already have some regulars, so I think we are off to a good start.”

The shop is celebrating it grand opening this Saturday starting at 11 a.m. The first 100 people there will get a free $10 gift card, t-shirts and giveaways will be going out to customers all day, 20 percent off opening day coupons will be available (one is attached to this article), and the shop’s mascot, Swirly, will be a part of the celebration.