BY MELISSA KRAVITZ | In case there was any doubt, the West Village is still the coolest place to be.
And thanks to a new outpost of the mini-chain Frozen Peaks, the temperature on Bleecker St. just got a lot chillier.
This colorful fro-yo shop has your standard fare: various handles of pay-by-weight self-serve frozen treats, DIY dry toppings, like cookie crumbs, fresh fruit and mocha, and hot fudge, to drizzle atop your masterful creation. You know the drill.
But Frozen Peaks is not your standard fro-yo shop.
“There’s 16 Handles, Red Mango, Pinkberry, but we’re not just a yogurt store: We’re a dessert house,” explained owner Rishi Popli.
From stuffed cupcakes to freshly made waffles to frozen-yogurt espresso affogatos to their new invention, FP Pops (frozen yogurt on a stick), Frozen Peaks offers a breadth of desserts ready to please any sweet tooth.
With a technical background, Popli is all about innovation, creativity and specificity.
“I have an M.B.A. in marketing, but I’m an Indian guy who loves food,” Popli said. “I cook, but it’s really all about creativity.”
His inspiration for opening Manhattan’s first Frozen Peaks: his wife, a sweet tooth who struggles with diabetes.
After trying to find suitable desserts near their home in New Jersey, the Poplis discovered that frozen yogurt is a great substitute — low in sugar and calories and still delicious.
An instant love affair with the treat led to the opening of Bleecker St.’ s Frozen Peaks in May. A desire for differentiation along with deliciousness led to the creation of their signature FP Pop.
“This is Bleecker St., it’s all about differentiating yourself,” Popli noted.
Making yogurt pops isn’t easy: The shape, consistency and flavor are all difficult to create and then maintain.
Popli traveled to the Dessert Fair in Italy in order to make his vision a reality. Four months and $20,000 of research later, he invented a frozen-yogurt pop method that stayed frozen without being icy.
“There’s always a cheap way and an expensive way to do things,” he said.
A natural go-getter, Popli chose the best way: silicon molds filled with various flavors of yogurt and frozen overnight at negative 24 degrees. The pops are made fresh in-house every day, and sell out on a regular basis.
Popli’s fro-yo on a stick is the only treat of its kind in New York City, and is customized to the customer’s liking. FP Pops can be dipped in four different sauces imported from Italy and then topped with assorted candy, cookie and nut toppings.
The gourmet treat ranges from 60 to 110 calories and costs less than $5 with your customization, making a great on-the-go treat for hot days.
More than merely a fantastic dessert shop, Frozen Peaks also serves as a community hot spot. Meetup groups, school programs, birthday celebrators and neighborhood workers (who can enjoy 10 percent off at the dessert shop) all flock to the colorful venue to use its hospitable (and WiFi-equipped) space.
Popli himself stands outside the shop, passing out discount fliers and meeting the neighbors who pass by his new business. His enthusiasm for building a vibrant community space is evident.
“We just want this to be a place the community can enjoy,” he said.
Follow www.facebook.com/frozenpeaksbleecker on Facebook for photos, promotions, flavor updates and more.
