Red Mango CEO Dan Kim was surprised when Grub Street broke the news that Pinkberry is also coming out with a pomegranate fro-yo, but after confirming it, he tells us, “It’s either a strange coincidence or something else.” Still, he thinks it may end up benefiting Red Mango by raising awareness of the pomegranate category — it’s the same logic behind his tendency to open shops near Pinkberrys. “They might have a good location and we want to build on that visibility that they have while introducing customers to a healthy, all-natural option.” He says Pinkberry has done the same with Red Mango locations. Meanwhile, in case you’re wondering, Kim tells us his company isn’t facing a Starbucks-like expansion freeze: The brand has seen a slight drop-off in college-student traffic (for instance, at its Bleecker location), and it’s being more selective about new locations, but it’s also plotting more stores in Manhattan (“we’re probably looking at the Upper East Side, and maybe one closer into the heart of Times Square”), and Kim has a new flavor up his sleeve for when the Pom promotion is over in February. “It’s a flavor that can’t really be described by naming other fruits or foods,” he says. “It’s an experiential flavor that I’ve been working on a long time.” Uh-oh. Could this be the next “tart”?
Earlier: WHAT THE FRO, YO: Pinkberry and Red Mango Will Face Off in Pomegranate Battle
Red Mango Debuts New Flavor: Cross-promo-granate!
