‘Always a reason to celebrate’: St. George woman finally opens her dream yogurt business after 56 years

ST. GEORGE —From someday to sundae, a woman who always encouraged others to follow their dreams finally took her own pint-sized vision and grew it into a delicious reality. Pulled by a truck and full of flavor, this new yogurt business gives everyone a reason to celebrate.

Mary Ludlow stands next to her We Celebrate yogurt truck, June 14, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Wendy Ludlow stands next to her We Celebrate yogurt truck, June 14, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Wendy Ludlow, a proud mother of five and grandmother to one, said she spent her entire life encouraging others to pursue their dreams. While she lived a life full of service to others, she pushed her own goals and dreams to the side in order to make room for others’ achievements. When she decided it was finally time to stop making excuses and follow her own advice, she fused her mind and heart together to create an extraordinary business-on-wheels that is all her own.

Originally from “Minne-snow-da,” Ludlow said she and her family moved to St. George in 2012 to take care of her mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Once they made the move to Utah, she worked full-time in the home as both a mom to her five kids and a caregiver to her mother.

When she found out she was in need of rotator cuff surgery and would be out of commission for 18 full weeks, she and her siblings decided it was time to place their mother in a full-time care facility in northern Utah.

After the surgery, Ludlow said she experienced her first fall season in 28 years that did not require an alarm to get one of her children off to school or to assist in her mother’s care. As she contemplated what this next stage in life would look like, she decided it was time to get back into the workforce.

Prior to the care of her mother, Ludlow had spent her life as a stay-at-home mom and supplemented the household income with her cleaning business, We’ve Got it Maid, a company she and her best friend started together. 

As the job hunt began for the first time in her entire life, she realized she had never created a resume, let alone interviewed for any jobs. With no degree and no “real” work experience, she said she felt extremely apprehensive about the transition. She was thankful to her husband, who encouraged her along the way while pointing out that she had been an excellent manager – managing eight people’s lives.

Mary Ludlow shows the first $10.00 bill she received at her new business, We Celebrate, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News
Wendy Ludlow shows the first $10 bill she received at her new business, We Celebrate, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News

“I was afraid of that, ‘Oh, that’s cute, she’s been a stay-at-home-mom’ sort of reaction I’d get applying for jobs,” Ludlow said. “When I started to interview, I really really had to sell myself.”

Ludlow took her first job at Chef Hogs Oyster Bar and Grill’s original Tuacahn location. Once the location closed, a friend suggested she apply at Tru by Hilton. With only eight months of “real” work experience on her resume, she nailed the interview, was hired on and quickly moved up the ranks to assistant manager –  a position she held for three years with a company and coworkers she adored.

When her comedian daughter came home to visit in May of 2021, Ludlow said her daughter talked about the possibility of a move to New York in order to further pursue her comedy career. Ludlow instantly celebrated the idea and encouraged her to go all in on her dreams without hesitation. 

“The house all went to sleep and I’m thinking what a freaking hypocrite I am,” Ludlow said. “Telling my kids to go for their dream jobs, run for student body president, go to medical school, go on a mission, just always supporting everyone and not taking my own advice.”

Ludlow said she had thought about opening a food truck for over 35 years, but never believed she could or would actually do it. As she thought more seriously about chasing her own dreams, she decided it was finally time and she was ready. Afraid of pressure from others or the effect their influence would have on her dream, she decided to plan the entire food truck in complete secret.

Mary Ludlow serves frozen yogurt at We Celebrate, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News
Wendy Ludlow serves frozen yogurt at We Celebrate, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News

As she researched every single thing she would need to open her business, Ludlow said she planned it all, right down to each and every fine detail. She knew what the name of her food truck would be, what the trailer would look like, what she would wear, how people would be served and even where the money would come from to start it.

“Everything had always been everyone else’s way,” she said. “Happily – I was their advocate, their support, and I loved it, but I wanted this to be my way, all of it.” 

In September 2021, she sat down with her husband, who was oblivious to the entire idea, and laid out her business plan. All she asked for was her husband’s blessing, which he gave her without hesitation.

Next, Ludlow laid out her business plan to her children, who were overjoyed and excited. As her family celebrated the concept and supported her the way she had always supported them, she knew she had made the right decision.

With the dream circling in her head for over 35 years, Ludlow said there was never a question as to what type of food truck she would open. As a frozen yogurt connoisseur, her love for the dessert stemmed all the way back to a frozen yogurt truck that once opened down the street from her high school around 1978. She said she can still taste her favorite kind of yogurt from the truck – tart and icy – which she made sure to incorporate into her own business.

As she continued her life motto to celebrate those around her, Ludlow said there was no question about what the name of her food truck would be, either.

“We Celebrate, that’s the name because that’s what my whole adult life has been – celebrating everything – my kids, holidays, sports,” Ludlow said. “I have been a big-time celebrator for these awesome people in my life and I wanted to continue that celebration with others.”

Mary Ludlow stands next to her yogurt truck, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News
Wendy Ludlow stands next to her yogurt truck, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News

Ludlow said everything in life can be a celebration, whether it’s the celebration of a newborn baby, passing a class, running a marathon or even the exciting celebration of divorce. She instilled in her children how important it was to celebrate all of life’s wins – big or small.

With two kids who returned early from their The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints missions, she said she celebrated seeing them again upon their return and that if they hadn’t gone at all, they would have simply celebrated something different. No matter what, she said there’s always something to celebrate.

“My favorite quote actually comes from Oprah: ‘The more you celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.’ And I love that. It’s an attitude that has always been me,” Ludlow said.

In October, Ludlow found a company in Mexico that created custom food trucks for people all over the U.S. She listed out all the specific details she wanted inside and outside of her trailer and the company then custom-built it from scratch.

With an original quote of 45 days for completion, Ludlow said the truck company, like many others, ran into supply and equipment availability issues due to the pandemic, which then created a two-month delay on the trailer. But she used this delay to her benefit, using the additional time to plan out where she wanted to park her business and what upcoming events she would attend.

Upon the trailer’s completion, the company even delivered the trailer all the way from Mexico to her front door.

Ludlow said that in the short weeks We Celebrate has been open, she has already attended a variety of events, such as moveouts for apartment buildings, H Day at Hurricane high school, a Chamber of Commerce meeting and heat-acclimation week at Dixie High School.

She said her most notable experience so far was when David Archuletta stopped by her truck for yogurt. Afterward, she joked that she was lucky enough to get his autograph on the credit card receipt.

Mary Ludlow serves frozen yogurt at We Celebrate, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News
Wendy Ludlow serves frozen yogurt at We Celebrate, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Mary Ludlow, St. George News

Ludlow said that while people often only celebrate perfection, she’s a huge believer in celebrating the process. With her business, her process of trial and error has mostly stemmed from the operation of a yogurt truck in the 110-degree desert heat of Southern Utah. She said she keeps a freezer full of yogurt in individual cups, just in case it ever turns into a soupy situation. 

“Even if this collapsed or a semi came and took my trailer out, we’d still celebrate because I had the cojones to say, ‘I’m doing this.’ I planned this. Everything is a celebration, even failure. We don’t know what’s around the corner, so let’s celebrate what’s going on right here right now,” Ludlow said.

With a goal to inspire others to chase their dreams no matter their age or stage in life, Ludlow said oftentimes the roadblocks and excuses are really ourselves. She encouraged others to figure out what is holding them back and why.

“This has been a very brave thing for me to do because I probably took the easy route for 56 years,” Ludlow said. “Taking the plunge to do something for me was definitely scary, but I’m so glad I did it.”

We Celebrate is often parked at Lowes as well as the Ace Hardware parking lot off Bluff Street. For an up-to-date schedule of the truck’s exact location or upcoming events, visit their Instagram. To book We Celebrate for your next party, reach Ludlow directly at 435-668-3898.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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