Commack Gears Up for More Brain Freeze With New Stores

Two new competitors are set to debut on Commack’s frozen treat scene, and they mean (tasty) business.

Within the coming week, Yogurt Crazy will open its doors next to , in the space formerly occupied by Lil Smitty’s Bagels. Later this summer, Mayfair Shopping Center will welcome where a Verizon retailer once stood.

While different in their offerings, Yogurt Crazy and D’Lites Emporium share two traits: both have already established themselves successfully in other locations and each offers a twist on a classic warm-weather dessert.

Yogurt Crazy first in October of last year, quickly amassing an almost fanatical following of frozen yogurt lovers willing to travel a distance to satisfy their cravings.

“All these people from Commack kept coming into our store in Huntington and asking for their own store,” said Brendan Hackett, who owns the chain along with his aunt and uncle, Patricia and Paul Porco.

“After doing some research, Commack just seemed like an exciting place for us to go next.” Hackett and the Porcos also opened a store in Woodbury and plan to expand into Northport within the next couple of months.

Yogurt Crazy’s claim to fame: they are a self-serve establishment that allows customers to choose their own cup, dispense any combination of 14 flavors available daily (including sorbet and sugar-free varieties), and finish it off with a scoop of freshly cut fruit or dozens of other toppings.

“Being a self-serve yogurt store turns going out for a snack into an activity," said Hackett. "It’s a lot of fun to make your own yogurt and I think that’s a huge reason why kids in particular have really been attracted to our stores.”

D’Lites Emporium got its start in Florida almost 30 years ago and is still going strong today with national and international locations.

The Commack location will be headed up by Matt Prince, a lifelong business owner who also opened a and is currently building another one in Bayside.

The D’Lites franchise initially captured Prince’s attention after he visited the Woodbury store last year.

“One of my kids can’t eat anything with gluten, so I brought him to D’Lites because I heard their ice cream was gluten-free,” he said. “I didn’t really expect much, but my son loved it and gobbled it down, so I tried it and was really impressed with both the taste and texture.”

Targeting a health-conscious crowd, D’Lites offers proprietary formula of gluten-free soft serve ice cream that their website claims is high in flavor and low in everything else, including calories (50 per 4 fluid ounces), carbohydrates, sugar and fat. 

Eight flavors are scooped up each day from an extensive list and toppings (both sugary and sugarless) are also available.

“I think everyone in Commack is going to love this product, and love our store,” said Prince.

The question remains: is there room in Commack for any further brain freeze? Only time– and our taste buds –will tell.