The Alternative Press

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ -- The latest craze in frozen desserts hit South Orange this summer in the form of a new frozen yogurt shop on South Orange Avenue.

Love & Yogurt, 65 South Orange Ave., opened on July 12 and has provided South Orange with a new stop for frozen yogurt, a treat that has recently become one of the most popular ways to beat the summer heat.

The South Orange location is the second Love & Yogurt store opened by owner Alon Steiner. The other store is located in Hoboken, but Steiner said recently decided to expand in order to reach a larger customer base.

“There isn’t a lot of competition in South Orange,” Steiner said. “It’s a college town and a family town. Parents can take their kids here after dinner and on weekends.”

“It’s a great area,” manager Miguel Casiano said. “We get a lot of traffic from the train station.”

Steiner, who used to work construction, just recently got into the frozen yogurt industry with two friends. “It’s blowing up; it’s a big industry,” he said. “We wanted to jump on the bandwagon.”

Though the industry has been growing, Love & Yogurt is a unique yogurt store among many that have been sprouting up in the New York and New Jersey area due to its use of an all-natural brand of frozen yogurt, Steiner said .

He said that while most stores use a widely distributed brand of yogurt, Love & Yogurt adds flavors created by a company called PureLove, which is made especially for its brand by Ronnybrook Farm, a dairy farm in upstate New York.

PureLove is all-natural and is healthier than traditional frozen yogurt, according to Steiner.

“Our chocolate and vanilla are made by PureLove and are as good as any ice cream,” he said. “It’s made from real milk straight from the cow, not a substitute.”

The store has more than a dozen flavors of frozen yogurt, including mango, red velvet, cookies and cream, and cake batter. In addition to the flavors, there are more than 40 toppings to choose from.

Steiner said Most frozen yogurt stores purchase their yogurt from a national distributor, but PureLove is made specifically for their stores, Steiner.

“Everyone knows the industry, but no one can get what we can get,” he said.

Casiano said: “We have the best yogurt in town. Our stuff is natural; it’s made with no sugar.”

Love & Yogurt originally had a different name, but due to trademarking issues, Steiner was forced to come up with a new one, and wanted “love” to remain a central theme in the brand name while keeping it simple.

The interior of the store was designed by Steiner himself, since he has a construction background. The mostly white décor accented with bright colors and modern furniture is meant to give the store a futuristic look, Steiner said .

Customer Andrea Minichini said the store's look is "fun." She added: "Other stores are more conservative; Love & Yogurt is more welcoming. I was actually greeted when I walked in.”

Steiner, who is originally from Bergen County, is planning to expand with more locations in Manhattan and other areas in New Jersey.

For more information about Love & Yogurt, stop in at 65 South Orange Ave., South Orange, or visit the store's website at www.loveandyogurt.com