Serve up some self-serve at Berry Moon
Laura Fitzgerald
Issue date: 7/23/10 Section: Entertainment
Frozen Yogurt lovers should be on the lookout for a new place called Berry Moon located at 2618 N. Clark in Lincoln Park. This self-serve shop boasts a variety of flavors, toppings and sauces to allow customers to make their own delicious frozen creations.
Stepping into Berry Moon is like stepping into a candy store, with pastel pink and green walls graced with large photos of decadent frozen yogurt and a buffet-style self-serve bar of toppings to greet the customers as they enter. Managed by Tayfur Arsu, Aziz Kork, Akif Keskin and his wife Ozzie Keskin, these Turkish friends and business partners wanted to give Chicagoans a new way to enjoy a favorite treat.
"We love frozen yogurt, and there are no self-serve frozen yogurt places in Chicago," Ozzie Keskin said. "People can make their own yogurt, mix as many flavors as they want and they love the idea."
Keskin said that Berry Moon opened over Memorial Day weekend, and that they plan to be a year-round shop, with promises to provide seasonal flavors for wintertime.
"This isn't a chain frozen yogurt place, this is one-of-a-kind in Chicago," she said. "We have ten flavors and all are gluten-free."
Included in these ten flavors are the constant alpine vanilla, dutch chocolate, original, and cake batter. Keskin said that unusual flavors such as green tea, New York cheesecake, strawberry, nonfat Georgia peach, nonfat marshmallow and coconut are interchanged frequently with flavors such as red velvet cake (a favorite amongst customers), lemon and snicker doodle.
A self-serve station may seem dangerous, but Berry Moon provides a large board of directions for customers as well as friendly, helpful service. Keskin said that customers put as much frozen yogurt as they'd like into the provided cups and then are able to add as many toppings (including everything from chocolate chip cookie dough chunks, sprinkles and sliced mango) and sauces (vanilla, caramel and chocolate, to name a few). Customers weigh their creation at the end and pay the small fee of 45 cents per ounce.
Customer Sean Ring was pleased with the service and flavor of the frozen yogurt, saying that the price was right for the amount of yogurt he received.
"This place is ingenious," Ring said. "They cut down the need for employees and I was able to mix more toppings without having to pay more. Good flavors, too."
Keskin said that the idea of self-serve is a productive way to run a business, allowing customers to get exactly what and how much they want.
"It takes away the leg work for us and is more efficient," she said.
With so many flavors, the right prices, and a friendly business staff, it looks like Berry Moon is here to stay. Customers like Ring seemed satisfied with the service and the yogurt.
"There is less waiting around with self-serve," Ring said. "I feel like so many more customers can be served, and at a quicker rate. I personally love the idea and will definitely consider coming back."
Stepping into Berry Moon is like stepping into a candy store, with pastel pink and green walls graced with large photos of decadent frozen yogurt and a buffet-style self-serve bar of toppings to greet the customers as they enter. Managed by Tayfur Arsu, Aziz Kork, Akif Keskin and his wife Ozzie Keskin, these Turkish friends and business partners wanted to give Chicagoans a new way to enjoy a favorite treat.
"We love frozen yogurt, and there are no self-serve frozen yogurt places in Chicago," Ozzie Keskin said. "People can make their own yogurt, mix as many flavors as they want and they love the idea."
Keskin said that Berry Moon opened over Memorial Day weekend, and that they plan to be a year-round shop, with promises to provide seasonal flavors for wintertime.
"This isn't a chain frozen yogurt place, this is one-of-a-kind in Chicago," she said. "We have ten flavors and all are gluten-free."
Included in these ten flavors are the constant alpine vanilla, dutch chocolate, original, and cake batter. Keskin said that unusual flavors such as green tea, New York cheesecake, strawberry, nonfat Georgia peach, nonfat marshmallow and coconut are interchanged frequently with flavors such as red velvet cake (a favorite amongst customers), lemon and snicker doodle.
A self-serve station may seem dangerous, but Berry Moon provides a large board of directions for customers as well as friendly, helpful service. Keskin said that customers put as much frozen yogurt as they'd like into the provided cups and then are able to add as many toppings (including everything from chocolate chip cookie dough chunks, sprinkles and sliced mango) and sauces (vanilla, caramel and chocolate, to name a few). Customers weigh their creation at the end and pay the small fee of 45 cents per ounce.
Customer Sean Ring was pleased with the service and flavor of the frozen yogurt, saying that the price was right for the amount of yogurt he received.
"This place is ingenious," Ring said. "They cut down the need for employees and I was able to mix more toppings without having to pay more. Good flavors, too."
Keskin said that the idea of self-serve is a productive way to run a business, allowing customers to get exactly what and how much they want.
"It takes away the leg work for us and is more efficient," she said.
With so many flavors, the right prices, and a friendly business staff, it looks like Berry Moon is here to stay. Customers like Ring seemed satisfied with the service and the yogurt.
"There is less waiting around with self-serve," Ring said. "I feel like so many more customers can be served, and at a quicker rate. I personally love the idea and will definitely consider coming back."
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