Photograph by Aaron M. Cohen

It’s already become a bit of food-industry folklore: After this cold-treat franchise debuted in California in 2005, the LAPD gave out a thousand parking tickets to frozen-yogurt addicts who clogged the streets. Well, now the fro-yo monster has invaded the Big Apple. The first location opened this fall in Koreatown, and several others should be dotting the city by the time you read this. 

Pinkberry is not your average airport TCBY. First there’s the hip, minimalist decor (Philippe Starck strikes again!) layered with kid-friendly surfaces for unexpected spills. And then there’s the suitably hip, minimalist menu: only two flavors, plain and green tea. Fans praise the latter’s tangy, not too-sweet taste. But the yogurt itself is just a blank slate for you to build upon—the joy is in the toppings. Parents who want to sneak something healthy into their child’s dessert can choose from the various fruit add-ons (strawberry, pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, mango, kiwi and banana). All the fruits are put out fresh daily, says Dane Morrissey, area director for the NYC stores, who also points out the nonfat nature of the yogurt.

Then there are the nine dry toppings, among which you will find those drugs of choice for tiny (and not so tiny) sugar addicts: chocolate chips, crumbled cookies, and cold-cereal favorites like Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and Cap’n Crunch. Rounding out the menu are a rice cake with shaved ice, and fruit or green-tea smoothies. Sure, there’s still a chill in the air, but based on the astoundingly long lines in L.A., it might be best to get your Pinkberry fix now, before the frozen-yogurt high season begins. — Ansley Roan

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