Watch out, Pinkberry. There’s a new frozen yogurt store ready to hit Westwood.
Red Mango frozen yogurt opens its flagship store Tuesday on Weyburn Avenue, right on the same turf as the already established yogurt dessert chain.
But Dan Kim, the president of the U.S. division of Red Mango, isn’t worried about the hindrance this could cause business.
He and his team of associates were instead busy slinging blueberries and Cap’n Crunch pieces, among other fruits and dry toppings, into yogurt cups at their unconventional office last week for a tasting before the big opening.
“We want to introduce fun flavors and try things out in the kitchen,” Kim said, explaining their slightly odd office etiquette.
The office’s bland exterior ““ located behind a couple of shrubs along a row of staid corporate buildings in Culver City ““ masks the creativity housed inside Red Mango’s test kitchen.
Humongous yogurt machines fill the kitchen, and candy-colored toppings and frozen treats all neatly line the buffet-style countertops; the inside evokes “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
In addition to frozen yogurt, Red Mango serves smoothies with a variety of fresh fruit that changes depending on what fruits are in season.
Kim and his team’s responsibility is to create tasty yogurt and topping combinations, all while keeping Red Mango’s menu low on the calories.
“We aim to create a self-conscious, progressive, urban atmosphere. Red Mango is for people (who are) into an alternative, healthy lifestyle,” Kim said.
Although Red Mango has 130 stores in Korea, the company is hitherto unknown in the United States.
Kim plans to change this by opening 10 stores this year alone in major U.S. metropolitan hubs, including Seattle, New York and San Diego.
But without name recognition in the U.S., Red Mango will have a tough time competing against Pinkberry, which has huge brand appeal in Los Angeles. Pinkberry helped spark the recent trend in frozen yogurt, and the Westwood location nearly always has a line out the door.
“It’s very difficult to beat the reputation that Pinkberry has created for itself.
“It’s hard for me to try to go out there and displace the credibility of the market awareness that Pinkberry has generated,” Kim said.
Rather, he hopes to market Red Mango as a healthier alternative to Pinkberry.
“The awareness that Pinkberry has made about frozen yogurt, the fact that yogurt is good for you, and L.A.’s health conscientiousness have created a platform for us,” Kim said.
“Ten years ago, people would have not bought into probiotics and live and active cultures, but now they know it’s good for you and you should eat it,” he added.
Probiotics are dietary supplements with yeast or bacteria that help to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines, while live and active cultures help ferment milk to become yogurt.
Kim claims that both are key parts of yogurt found in Red Mango’s desserts but not in Pinkberry’s yogurt ““ a difference indicated by the texture of the yogurt. Kim explained that Pinkberry uses a powdered formula to make its yogurt.
“What sets us apart from Pinkberry is the product itself,” Kim said. “It’s made in the way that real yogurt has to be made: with cultures made by a dairy plant, complying with all the federal and state rules. … We’re doing it in a way that allows us to make the health claims that you can make when you’re selling a really good product.”
When the Red Mango store opens Tuesday in Westwood, it will have more in common with Pinkberry than a target market.
The modern-pop store design, the types of yogurt (plain or green tea), and the toppings offered are also similar styles.
But how does Red Mango’s actually taste?
The first thing I notice about Red Mango yogurt is its creamy consistency, almost like that of ice cream, and its tart flavor which tastes like, well, yogurt.
This new taste is addicting while still being nutritious. What more could a health freak with a sweet tooth ask for?