Business Spotlight: Bayport's Berry Fresh Expanding into Sayville

Berry Fresh Frozen Yogurt, which opened in the 7-Eleven shopping center in Bayport this March, will open a sister store in the Stop and Shop center on Montauk Highway in Sayville as early as this week if all goes as expected with getting the new location, which formerly housed Country Rotisserie, up and running.

The expansion effort, which owner Craig Fleisher said was planned when the Bayport store was launched, is part of a overall business plan to provide what Fleisher said is the premium yogurt product among a rising number of competitors.

“We intended to expand from day one of opening the Bayport store as we want to give as many people as possible the highest quality of yogurt available. Right now a lot of Sayville people are coming here and we know the new store will be as welcomed as this store has been by the great community ,” said Fleisher, who is operating the business with Gisel Solano.

The couple chose Bayport as the initial location for several reasons. First was familiarity, as Fleisher had lived in Blue Point prior for several years. Then during the location hunt effort the two realized how wonderful the Bayport-Blue Point community was as a place to live.

“We drove here and saw this location and I literally said ‘jackpot,’ to Gisel,” recalled Fleisher, who has extensive experience selling retail food items. The Sachem graduate and Holbrook resident said the response from the community has been amazing.

“The people, from the moment we opened, have been unbelievable, it’s a class act community and it’s a place where you can get to know your customers as they’re loyal,” he said.

The store’s success since it opened on March 19 is due to many things, the owners said. First up is the yogurt quality and that it offers probiotics, which is a healthy aspect. 

“This has live cultures, runs about 100-111 calories per serving. It’s healthy for everyone, those with diabetes or needing low sugar diets and those who may be lactose intolerant. It won’t spike blood sugars and it’s 95 percent gluten free,” explained Fleisher.

The new Sayville location will offer the same exact yogurt quality, and will be bigger in size which will allow the owners to offer more flavors and toppings.

There’ll be eight machines to the Bayport store’s five, and about 50 toppings, compared to Bayport’s 40. There’ll be more tables for customers to sit and talk and for kids to color, said Fleisher.

“Customers often come in and stay for over an hour enjoying the yogurt and relaxing,” he explained.

“The bigger location will give us more room to offer more varieties and expand the menu as well,” said Fleisher, stating he plans to offer a no-sugar yogurt option and a non-dairy sorbet choice.

The Sayville store also will offer personalized yogurt cakes and specialty desserts such as yogurt saucers. The store may even offer a breakfast menu at some point, said Fleisher, as customers are often waiting for the doors to open at 11 a.m.

The one thing you likely won’t find at either Bayport or the Sayville store, however, is pistachio yogurt. For some reason it’s proven to be a dud as a flavor.

In fact the two top sellers aren’t anything nearly creative as Red Velvet or ice cream cake flavors. Vanilla and chocolate are still the most popular with frozen yogurt fans.

The popularity of today’s frozen yogurt, said Fleisher, is the unique self-serving option and it’s very affordable price point. Berry Fresh sells for 49 cents an ounce, which means even those watching every penny in today’s rocky economic times can give themselves a treat.

“Our motto is ‘indulge the healthy way,’ and people can do that whether they just have a few bucks for a great healthy dessert,” he said.