Sam Klein, Editor

PHILADELPHIA – As the weather gets colder, the insatiable desire for a sweet treat remains. While most ice cream stands begin to close down as the temperature decreases, one frozen yogurt shop is dedicated to delivering premium services year-round. 

Chill on the Hill, located in Chestnut Hill, is a self-serve frozen yogurt shop open six days a week from 12 – 9 p.m. There are 10 flavors to choose from daily with two vegan and one sugar free option. Customers are able to come in, choose their flavor and include any of the 40 available toppings, ranging from fresh fruit to candy. Finishing off their yogurt with any of the six different sauces, customers then place their filled cups on the scale to determine the cost of their gooey goodness. 

Yet, it isn’t the self-serve nature of Chill on the Hill that makes it so special, nor the attraction of an all-year-round chilly treat. Rather, community is the foundation of Chill on the Hill and what keeps customers coming back again and again. 

Owner of Chill on the Hill, Michael Hurst, purchased the business over three years ago for one sole purpose: the neighborhood location and overarching it’s community climate.

“People have been coming here for years,” Hurst says. “Those relationships and those people that we see coming back and coming back because this is a part of their community – it’s a part of their life, that’s what’s important to me.” 

As part of serving the community, Chill on the Hill offers both event inquiries, such as birthday parties, and fundraising opportunities to local schools and organizations. As a result of partnering with Chill on the Hill, they donate a percentage of their total profits to said organization and are willing to partner with any organization in need. If you or someone you know is interested, check out their application here. 

Hurst runs Chill on the Hill as part of a larger family business, using his wife and kids as fuel to make everything they do for the community that much more important. Interacting with families as if they were his own serve as an unofficial mantra for Hurst, as he remembers details about the lives of repeat customers and their families who are a part of the Chill on the Hill community.

“My favorite part of owning Chill on the Hill is the people I meet each day- a lot of new and repeat customers,” Hurst says. “I know a lot of people by their first name, I know their kids, I know where their kids go to school. That is just because of owning this business and being here.”  

The community mindset exists beyond the owners, however, and comes from the employees that make Chill on the Hill a special place as well. Elena, one Chill on the Hill employee, enjoys coming to work every day because it is more than just a job – rather, “a reprieve.”  

“Chill on the Hill is a home away from home. You can relax, wind down and get something yummy to eat,” Elena says. The joy that new and repeat customers alike embody is what creates the store atmosphere that Elena “feeds off of.” 

“We’d love for people to stop by regardless of if you’re in the area or not,” Elena says, as she is “eager to meet new people,” each day when she comes into work.

To stop by and try Chill on the Hill’s fantastic frozen yogurt for yourself, visit the store at 5 E Highland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118, or you can check out their website, Instagram or feature on La Salle TV’s recent episode of “Just Next Door” to learn more! 

Want another sweet treat? Use this article as a coupon to get 15% off of one cup, regardless of weight (only to be redeemed once). Simply print out, show at the register and enjoy this legend-dairy deal!