Yogybee Caters to Health-Conscious and More

Foodies seeking a quick healthy bite have a bastion in Yogybee, a recently opened purveyor of smoothies, frozen yogurt, wraps and salads on East Ridgewood Avenue.

Business is picking up for Yogybee, which opened in September and endured a somewhat slow winter, manager Hannah Im said. The warm weather is drawing customers looking for a cool treat.

"People are catching on and everybody goes and tells everybody," she said.

Almost everything on the menu is freshly made, from the Yogybee Juice, a mixture of carrot, celery, beet, ginger and apple to the Paramus wrap, with iceberg lettuce, spicy chicken (made onsite), bacon, grapes, walnuts, mozzarella, Parmesan and peppercorn bacon. Everything is prepared fresh, too.

Owners Peter and Tina Kim own a business in the same 7/11 shopping center where Yogybee takes a corner spot. It's the second location for the Kims, who have an established store in Waldwick as well.

The Kims also own Lettuce In in Ridgewood and Ramsey, but those locations are becoming Yogybees soon, Im said. The business is growing because it makes people feel better, she said.

"Everyone gets happier when they get healthier," Im said.

The store draws a diverse crowd, Im said. Older customers stop in for an entire meal, sampling either the salads or wraps, but there is a younger customer base too, she said.

Yogybee is for all of them, Im said.

"We have so many different customers," Im said. "We have the little kids who love the yogurt, who have the smoothies."

There is a range of options for customers. The power smoothies come with supplements like ginseng and bee pollen, but for initiates, Im recommends the strawberry banana smoothie.

Frozen yogurt comes with a variety of toppings, including papaya and mochi, and wraps are offered in plain and whole-wheat form.

Yogybee is located at 59 E. Ridgewood Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.