The Famuan

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Taste

Media Credit: Nathaniel Nelson Sunberry, located on Tennessee Street, is a healthier alternative to the conventional ice cream parlor. It's a spinoff of the popular Pinkberry franchise in New York and Los Angeles.

Rattlers from New York and L.A. now have a little scoop of home waiting for them on West Tennessee Street, right next to Target Copy.

Sunberry, a local spin-off of the bi-coastal, boutique frozen yogurt brand Pinkberry, serves healthy frozen yogurt with live, active cultures and a special "trade secret" recipe.

Sunberry owner Jeff George, 29, calls his recipe that, and he's not telling what it is. One thing is for sure, Sunberry is far away from the frozen yogurt usually found at Golden Corral or other buffet restaurants.

"It's more lemony, tarty," George said. "It has more of an ice cream consistency, definitely creamier."

The lively, artsy atmosphere of the store matches Sunberry's equally interesting taste.

"It's an eclectic mix of ambiance," he said. "Kind of trendy."

The store's sleek, round tables, gas lift swivel stools lit by paper lanterns and track lighting show George's self-proclaimed affection for the Asian décor of today and yesterday.

George, who is from Clearwater, has a keen cinematic eye, and it shows in the store's décor and setup. It's crisp and hip, distancing it from run-of-the-mill places in town such as Baskin Robbins or TCBY.

Cold Stone Creamery could be considered Sunberry's closest competition as far as high-end frozen treats go, but both Cold Stone locations are not open for business.

Because of this, patrons like Ally Perkins, 18, a freshman theater student at FSU, are looking elsewhere. Perkins came to Sunberry for a second time with a friend.

"We were going to Cold Stone the other day," she said. "It was closed, so we came here."

The flavors weren't instantly familiar, but Perkins said she developed a taste for them.

As far as flavor options go, there's classic Sunberry yogurt, mango yogurt and a swirled mix of the two.

The store's three sizes are in five-ounce (small), eight-ounce (medium) and 12-ounce (large) cups. They'll cost you $2.50, $3.50 and $4.25, respectively.

Toppings at Sunberry are plentiful. Strawberries, bananas and granola are some of the more healthful options. The store also has Oreos, Fruity Pebbles and Captain Crunch. Each topping will only set you back 75 cents, and you can get three toppings for the price of two, $1.50.

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