Red Mango To Open in the Bay Area
Tart fro-yo fanatics like myself are sure to rejoice that Red Mango will soon open three locations in the Bay Area: Palo Alto, San Jose, and San Carlos.
The “Coming Soon” signs are already up on the vacant storefront at 429 University Ave. at Kipling, in downtown Palo Alto. According to the company’s Web site, the other two locations will be: 3055 Olin Ave. in San Jose’s Santana Row; and 852 Laurel St. in San Carlos.
I first swooned over Red Mango when I had the chance to try it in Los Angeles last year. Choose from green tea or “original” flavors, with toppings that range from fresh strawberries to Fruity Pebbles. The original flavor — my favorite — is quite tangy, thick, and creamy. And best yet, it is nonfat, and made from real cultured yogurt.
Red Mango has been giving pioneering Pinkberry a run for its money down south in the frozen yogurt wars. See what all the fuss is about when Red Mango opens its doors. One spoonful will leave you hooked.
Ooooh. This will be interesting. Pinkberry is definitely the leader in Los Angeles, well, I don’t know about revenue, but word of mouth buzz for sure. Even when people are talking about the knockoffs down here, they mention Pinkberry to clarify what they’re talking about.
But just last night at our Passover seder in the Bay Area, I mentioned Pinkberry and my relatives had no idea what it was. So maybe Red Mango could swoop in and become the dominant tart fro yo of the Bay!
And on a side note, why is the Bay Area so far behind in this food craze? I feel like Pinkberry has already come and gone as a hot commodity in L.A. Now it’s as normal as iPods. 🙂
Red Mango will have a lot of competition. There are many lesser known tart fro-yo places in the Bay Area now, including Fraiche in Palo Alto, Frozo’s in Santa Clara, Blondie’s in Santa Clara, Cafe Aroma in Santa Clara, Yoberry in San Jose, and Cafe Delatti in Los Gatos. Moreover, Yogurberry is set to open soon in both San Jose and Mountain View. Whew! It’s a tart fro-yo invasion _ but in a good way!
My wife just got hooked on Frozo’s. I’ve yet to try. It’s true that this craze is slow to catch on in the bay area. Although I think Red Mango will do very well at Santana Row.
Frozo’s is interesting in that it offers tart fro-yo in two styles: an icier, more refreshing variety, and a thicker, creamier version. Cafe Delatti in Los Gatos also offers FLAVORED tart frozen yogurt. The mango is particularly wonderful.
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For an interesting comparison between what’s in Pinkberry and what’s in Red Mango frozen yogurts, check out http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/dining/23yogurt.html
I’ve read that Yul Kwon owns all 3 Red Mango in the Bay Area. That’s cool.
That just might be. I know he was behind a failed attempt to open a Red Mango in San Francisco’s North Beach. But that neighborhood’s strict no-chains policy did him in there.
I passed by a Pinkberries several times the last time I was in NY and was amazed at the fact that the line was constantly long. So long, I never stopped to try it.
We did try another place called Rice to Riches and I can’t wait for them to start expanding to this area. Several different flavors of rice pudding. Very interesting and I think the Bay Area palate would support this kind of snack/dessert food.
Then again the shortage of rice in the world could put a short term damper on this 🙂
Oh, I LOVE Rice to Riches! Great rice pudding, with your choice of toppings, and all served in colorful, artsy plastic bowls in a Jetsons-like setting.
Red Mango opened this weekend in Palo Alto, and yes, “Survivor” champ Yul Kwon is an investor. But sorry, ladies — according to reports, he is now engaged. You can give him your congrats in person, as he plans to be behind the counter at Red Mango in Palo Alto regularly.
The latest rumor now has Red Mango opening _ not in Santana Row in San Jose _ but across the street in the Valley Fair Mall. Stay tuned.
I don’t know if you folks know, but the Red Mango Valley Fair store is already open and the grand celebration is tomorrow (Jan 24).
Yes, and apparently in ads, Red Mango is touting free fro-yo on Jan. 24 for everyone. Oooh, long lines for sure, I bet!