Ken ’97 and Tara Lydy ’96 run popular frozen yogurt café in downtown Wilmy
While working in Student Life at Wilmington College, Tara Sheldon Lydy ’96 directed the Summer Leadership Plunge, which brought to campus each July emerging leaders from the incoming freshman class for an immersion in team-building and leadership development.
PICTURED: WC alumni Ken and Tara Lydy in their popular frozen yogurt café known as Papsy's Place. They extend a special invitation for College alumni, students, faculty and staff to stop by their shop.
An activity called Boundary Breaking required participants to share, “If you could build anything, what would it be?” Lydy’s answer was always ”a small café.”
Fast forward a few years to 2017, when both she and her husband, Ken ’97, left the College after working in multiple areas of Student Life since 1998.
“We were out driving and the line for ice cream at UDF (United Dairy Farmers) was out the door,” she said, noting they were at the time fine-tuning ideas for opening a business. Ken, who teaches and directs theatre at Wilmington High School, mentioned, ‘What if we focused on ice cream or frozen yogurt?’”
On Aug. 13, 2018, the couple opened Papsy’s Place in historic downtown Wilmington within a stone’s throw of the popular General Denver Hotel & Grille and venerable Murphy Theatre. Their concept features six daily flavors of frozen yogurt and sorbet — including a twist option like grape and peanut butter for PB&J. Self-serve machines offer an “experiential” aspect, as do the assortment of toppings available for creating individualized masterpieces. Albeit temporary ones, because the best part is enjoying the cool sweetness sliding down your throat.
The most popular flavors have been Blue Raspberry Cream, Pineapple Fruit Whip and Pink Lemonade, and non-dairy and fat-free alternatives are available. Also, once the weather cooled last fall, Tara added a daily soup to the menu.
Both Papsy’s Place and their adjacent Airbnb, Nana’s Nest, pay tribute to Tara’s late parents. It was their 13-year-old daughter, Lindsay, who suggested the name, “Papsy’s.”
“The service here is intentional — you feel the love — and when you leave, you leave smiling,” Tara said. “That family feel, community — that’s what my dad was all about. It honors his memory.”
Papsy’s, 115 W. Main St., has a loyal following eager to learn the day’s new flavors announced via social media. It opens at 3 p.m. (at lunch-time on Mondays) and features both indoor and outdoor dining areas.
