From groupies to trendwatchers, foodies to celebrities, the Pinkberry buzz has been sweeping coast to coast since 2005. Check out the world’s most talked-about, deliciously tangy frozen yogurt swirling in the scenes.
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01 2007 | Travel + Leisure L.A.’s Fresh Frozen By David A. Keeps
On a West Hollywood side street, a security guard tends a door behind a velvet rope, and meter readers prey on double-parkers. This is no nightclub, though—this is Pinkberry (868 Huntley Dr., West Hollywood; 310/659-8285; www.pinkberry.com), the frozen-yogurt stand for caviar tastes and Cavalli waistlines. Created by 32-year-old Korean expat Hyekyung Hwang, the tangy, nonfat, 100-percent-natural treat is available in two flavors (green tea and, um, yogurt), with some two dozen fresh-fruit and cereal toppings. Over 1,500 people per day are flocking to the tiny, sherbet-toned, Starck-furnished flagship. Don’t have time for a West Hollywood detour? Fear not: 40 stores are scheduled to open in the greater L.A. area in 2007, along with debuts in San Diego and Las Vegas.
10 2006 | The Ellen Show “There’s a yogurt here in Los Angeles, and it is all the rage. Everybody is talking about it. People line up for half an hour to an hour just to get into this place.
07 13 06 | KTLA Morning Show Your LA with Janet Choi It isn’t, in fact I didn’t have breakfast this morning because I knew I would have this. So we are talking about frozen yogurt. Among the various competitors like TCBY and Penguins, there’s a new flair in town. It’s called Pinkberry. My friend Jo and Bo keep bugging me to try it so I finally did. And I realize one of the shortcomings of television is that you can’t taste what we’re talking about, so I brought you guys some samples to taste.
Pinkberry is more than frozen yogurt," says cofounder Shelly Hwang. "It's a consumer experience." The seed for this experience was planted when Young Lee, Pinkberry's founding partner and architect, first tried European gelato. "The flavor was as captivating as perfume," he says. "I wanted to design something that would reflect that." The joining of Hwang's vision to Lee's design sense translated that flavor into Pinkberry, a frozen yogurt franchise that is experiencing a massive growth spurt.
"Everything has to connect with the flavor—the service, the design, the atmosphere," Hwang says. Sounds like a Pinkberry state of mind.
