Dallas discovers chilly bliss in a Pinkberry frozen yogurt treat

This Thanksgiving the DFW area has a little extra to be thankful for - Pinkberry.

The famous tart frozen yogurt brand has opened its doors in the Preston Royal Shopping Center on Royal Lane. It is the first U.S. location to open outside of New York and California.

The store also is the first in the nation to debut the new chocolate Pinkberry flavor - a rich and creamy dark chocolate from Mexico mixed with yogurt. Delicious!

But really, the jewel of the whole thing is that the grand opening was last week, and people continue to line up out the front door (including this afternoon in Dallas when it was a brisk 55 degrees outside). I had a chance to sit down with owner Adam Saxton for what he likes to call "20 minutes of fun with a delicious product" to talk about the whole Pinkberry phenomena.

Picture it:  Sunday afternoon, 3 p.m., it's kickoff time for the Cowboy game against the Packers (at Green Bay) and there's a line out the door of Pinkberry in Dallas. I heart the Cowboys and purposely scheduled my meeting with Adam at this time to see if the people of Dallas were willing to trade their love for the 'boys for the new yogurt craze, Pinkberry. They were.

As I found my place at the end of the line with Adam, I began to prepare myself for the long "wait" to the counter where, I was told, I, along with everyone else in line, would experience Pinkberry's one-to-one service promise. But guess what? The wait wasn't really much of a wait at all, and before I knew it, I had quite the decision to make. Before me, 20 different dry toppings, including cereal, granola, shredded coconut, nuts and candies, and eight different fresh fruit toppings - strawberry, blueberry, pomegranate seeds, kiwi, etc., were staring at me... begging me to try them ALL.

The girl behind the counter happily walked me through my experience and described each flavor to me in detail while I eagerly sampled each (in Original, Pomegranate, Passionfruit, Coconut, Green Tea and an all new Chocolate flavor only available - at least for the next couple of weeks - at the Dallas location). The variety of flavors - ranging from sweet to tart and light to rich - are diverse enough to tempt any palate.

The skinny:  It's good. It's lowfat (as long as you don't go overboard on the candy toppings) and you have the luxury of mixing flavors and toppings with pomegranate juice, honey, caramel or chocolate if you so desire. Also offered, fruit parfaits and smoothies. "This isn't your yogurt store of the 80s and 90s," said Adam. "And it's all made with real yogurt - nothing processed and no chemicals."

See? Something for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e (even Gluten-free brownie bites and organic gummy bears). And did I mention the environmentally-friendly paper cups in which each treat is served? Unless you select a parfait, then you're stuck with plastic.

Customer Margaret C. said she was glad something like Pinkberry moved into her neighborhood. "It's convenient and the yogurt is refreshing, leaving you with a healthy and wholesome taste."

The Preston Royal Shopping Center location of Pinkberry was two-years in the making. The 77th Pinkberry store, Adam says his company, Saxton Pierce Restaurant Corporation (SPRC), which also brought McAlister's Deli to Dallas, is planning to open four to five stores per year in the Metroplex, two at the beginning of 2010 alone. "There's something capitvating about a brand that started the yogurt craze. Pinkberry sells a product that has an emotional connection with consumers," he says.

So why bring Pinkberry to the Dallas market? Adam says it was one part Dallas being a dynamic city with a big demand for frozen treats, and one-part Pinkberry finding in SPRC a franchise partner who shared values similar to their own.

Pinkberry is available now for catering events, birthdays, baby/bridal showers or business meetings. Eventually the store will offer delivery ($15 minimum purchase) and curbside service. The Pinkberry brand has been around for five years, with its home office located in California.

Seek refuge in Pinkberry. Great music. Family-friendly. Social setting. Open seven days, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.. Indoor/outdoor seating available.

5959 Royal Ln
Dallas, TX 75230
(214) 361-6617
 

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