Pinkberry started the trend, followed by Red Mango, 16 Handles, Berrywild, and a plethora of other low-fat frozen yogurt shops reeling in their customers by the allure of adding your own wild assortment of toppings, ranging from healthy fruits to not-so-lean chunks of chocolate. Having lived mere blocks from the Upper East Side’s (and NYC’s first) Pinkberry, I had the luxury of visiting the yogurt shop each time a craving struck. I witnessed Pinkberry’s transformation from two flavors - Original and Green Tea - to multiple seasonal flavors, with the addition of new and less healthy toppings along the way (cheesecake bites anyone?) Upon moving to Astoria, I had come to terms with the fact that I’d only get to indulge in this special treat on special visits. That is, until I tried Mama Yogurt.
I had seen Mama being built prior to its opening on 30th Avenue. I immediately dismissed it as another Pinkberry knock-off, with the design similar to Pinkberry’s Japanese inspired spherical hanging lights and bulbous colorful chairs. I had been loyal to Pinkberry while living in Manhattan – partially because all their flavors stayed true to the tart taste, and this simplicity appealed to me (and my lactose intolerance). But, for lack of anything similar in the area, I agreed to go in once, to see how much Mama had managed to copy the tried and true Pinkberry model.
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| Mama from the outside |
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| Mama's interior |
Mama Yogurt is set up more like 16 Handles than Pinkberry – there are a whole lot of flavors you can choose from, and you serve yourself, choosing how much of what flavors you want. There is also a toppings bar where you add your toppings, choosing from fruits, dried toppings, and liquid toppings, a la Pinkberry. Then you weigh your concoction and enjoy. I was happy to discover Mama did serve a tart yogurt option, called Euro Tart,that matched up pretty well to Pinkberry’s tart Original. They had fresh fruit toppings, and, most importantly, mochi. Upon seeing and tasting these favorites, I must say, Mama is a pretty solid (and cheaper) alternative to Pinkberry. At $0.49 per pound, Mama’s yogurt is cheaper than the competitor’s, while offering the same standards of exotic flavors, fresh and varied toppings, and the cleanliness and décor of a chic yogurt parlor. Although my stomach and I are fans of the Euro Tart, I appreciate the flavors that Mama offers, such as Cookies and Cream, Red Velvet Cake, Mango, Peanut Butter, and Coffee (many of which are low or non-fat). Seasonal flavors are rotated as well, such as Apple Pie. They always have fresh fruit offerings, and many other toppings such as sugar cone bits, yogurt chips, gummy bears, and boba. The place is always clean and well-maintained, which makes it a pleasurable visit every time.
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| frozen yogurt flavors |
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| toppings bar one |
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| toppings bar two |
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| assortment of flavors + toppings |
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| cake batter + cheesecake yogurt w. toppings |
Mama seems to be doing well in the neighborhood – there is always a steady stream of people coming and going. The real test will be to see how Mama stands up to the competition – 16 Handles is slated to open shop a few blocks up, on the same avenue. As with the first mover advantage loyalty that Pinkberry has amassed, I believe as long as Mama keeps up the quality, they will withstand the competition.
