This serve-yourself shop caters to Skinny Dippers

By Cyndi Kight

Correspondent

PRINCESS ANNE

For several months, there have been reports of rampant skinny dippin' at Landstown Commons.

No one's playing in the shopping center's fountain sans clothing though.

In fact, attire is a requirement for customers at The Skinny Dip, a frozen yogurt bar owned by Cindy and Karl Rauch.

The Indian River Farms residents opened the serve-yourself dessert shop at the end of May.

"We don't charge small, medium, large. We don't charge per topping," said Cindy Rauch, 40. "We actually let you fill the bowl and top it. People can really portion out what they want. It's 47 cents an ounce."

The frozen yogurt flavors range from the standards, chocolate and vanilla, to the more exotic, such as Mango Tart or Cake Batter.

Varieties include low-fat, nonfat and no-sugar-added. The yogurt even has "probiotics," the "good" bacteria that promote digestive wellness.

"There's no guilt here," Cindy said.

"It's really a healthier alternative," said Karl Rauch, 39. Of course, it is less so with toppings such as cookie dough, the second-most popular garnish, he noted.

The most popular add-on is fresh strawberries: 20 pounds are cut up each day, Cindy said. Other toppings include other fresh fruits, candies, granolas and cereal.

Virginia Beach became home to the Rauches and their two daughters, Elly, 11, and Peyton, 8, in a military move five years ago.

Karl is a Navy reservist and a commercial pilot. Cindy, who is usually at the store full time, also runs a soccer referee association during the sport's season.

The Rauches owe their start to ice cream. Both attended the same San Diego high school and Karl worked at a Baskin-Robbins.

"I got his number off the Baskin-Robbins wall," said Cindy with a laugh. "It's kind of ironic that we're still in frozen desserts."

The Rauches shop, inspired by similar concepts in California, has become a nighttime gathering place, Cindy said. And it's garnering kudos from customers for good taste and low calories.

"It was a brilliant idea," said Kelly Cutcher, a Glenwood resident who said she stops in a couple of times a week. "It's so neat. I think everybody likes the fact that you can make your own creation."

Michele Burkart and her family come in two to three times a week. "A lot of Weight Watchers people talk about it all the time," the Rock Creek resident said.

"I have to tell you I love this place," said Amanda Bielski, a recent visitor from Alexandria. "You need to open a franchise in Northern Virginia," she told the Rauches.

"We knew in our hearts this was a great idea," Cindy said, "but we didn't know other people would think so, too."

Cyndi Kight, kightcw@yahoo.com