Yogurt Café Under New Ownership

They had been looking to get into the frozen yogurt business for a year, and finally, an opportunity came their way in Wildberry Yogurt in East Setauket.

That's according to new co-owner Gerard Miller, who along with Christine Ippolito and Jay Vasilatos officially took over in January. Since then, Miller said, they have been trying out trends and expanding their offerings beyond simply self-serve frozen yogurt – including more toppings, smoothies, non-dairy and gluten-free treats, Greek yogurt and frozen yogurt floats like orange and root beer.

The biggest challenge, Miller said, is letting people know they're open for business.

"We are here. Come see what we have to offer," he said. "Every single day people walk in and didn’t know this was here. That’s the big thing."

Miller said they are also trying to get the word out for fundraising nights, saying Wildberry Yogurt is eager to offer events for local organizations like PTAs, sports clubs and other charitable causes. He said the fundraiser could be structured in such a way that customers who bring in the fundraiser flier would get a 25 percent discount, and 25 percent of the proceeds would go to the organization.

"We want to be a part of the community," he said. "We’d like to help them in fundraising, and also show what a great establishment we have at the same time."

Children's birthday party packages are also in the works, Miller said.

Chief among the new owners' priorities is making sure they have the best product possible. "We taste test the product at least three or four times a day make sure it’s serving at the right temperature, that the machine is chilling it correctly, that it’s the proper consistency, that the flavor is right," he said.

Miller said what sets Wildberry Yogurt apart from competitors such as Sweet Frog and Red Mango is the synergy it has with other local businesses in its shopping center on Route 25A. You could drop off your dry cleaning, grab coffee, pick up the groceries, pick up your pizza or Chinese food for dinner, and bring home dessert all in one trip.

"I think it’s key to making everything survive," Miller said. "We have great quality in our store and great quality around us. You have everything you could want right here. There’s something for everyone."