Moolala, LI’s First Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Café, to Open in Merrick

Merokeans, get ready for a new treat as Moolala Yogurt Café plans to open its doors this June at 1664 Merrick Road in the Merrick Commons Plaza (between Waldbaums and Home Goods).  

Billed by owner Bob Rosenberg as "Long Island's first self-serve yogurt and toppings café," Moolala is set offer customers a new way to enjoy fresh frozen yogurt creations. 

"It's sort of a salad bar for yogurt," Rosenberg explains. 

Moolala, to open on June 19, will have six self serve yogurt machines dispensing a choice of two flavors per machine.  That's a total of 12 flavors with new choices every week from among 40 flavors. 

The wide assortment of yogurts will include non-fat, low fat, dairy free, sugar free, gluten free and kosher options. 

"Nutritional information will be provided above the machines so people will know what they're choosing from," Rosenberg says.  "People with special dietary needs whether they're diabetic or lactose intolerant will have options.  Also, a serving of our no sugar yogurt is just one point on Weight Watchers.

"Portions tend to be different at the typical frozen yogurt places. At Moolala customers have total control of what they're eating," Rosenberg says.

After you choose your favorite flavor(s) of yogurt you move onto the toppings center. According to Rosenberg, Moolala will have a selection of healthy toppings, like fresh fruit, as well as sweet candy toppings to choose from. 

"We'll have fun toppings like cookies and cream, cheese cake bites, and Mochi (Japanese ice cream balls)," he says.

  Once you're done, your creation is weighed.  You'll pay 49 cents per ounce.

Rosenberg notes that yogurt aficionados will be pleased to know that Moolala will be carrying "Frogurt" brand yogurt. 

"There's a large following of people for "Frogurt" which has been available on Long Island only at a certain department store," he says.  "People are known to travel great distances just to have it."

He goes on to explain: "There's a new trend in frozen yogurt offering a slightly tangy, not as sweet taste. It really tastes delicious.  Yogurt can be a meal. You can have it as a breakfast, lunch and even a light dinner.  Nutritionally, its equivalent to what a meal will be with fewer calories."

If you're not tempted by the frozen yogurt you may want to try something from Moolala's bakery case.  Moolala will carry a selection of cupcakes from cupcakestop.com, NYC's first mobile cupcakery. Red velvet and French toast are just a couple of the many tempting flavor cupcakes that will be available at Moolala.

Coffee, ice cappuccino, espresso, bottled water and smoothies will also be served at Moolala.

Rosenberg has designed the café to be a fun relaxing place.  While enjoying your frozen yogurt or cupcakes you can access free Wi-Fi, listen to the satellite radio or watch a show on the widescreen TV in the café.

You may be wondering about the origins of the unique name for the café, Rosenberg explains: "Moolala is my creation and not a franchise. The name was developed by my daughter who is a design and merchandising major at Drexel University.  We loved the name because it was fun, memorable, and had a variety of meanings, depending on who you ask."  "Moo is a reference to dairy, which is our main product, and Moolala sounds like 'ooh la la' which is French and means 'wow'.  Since my wife's native language is French, it had even more meaning for us."

Rosenberg is a native of Long Island's South Shore. He spent years in the apparel business and traveled the world. Looking to change his life, he wanted to do something that would give him a connection to a community and tie in his love for retail.

On his travels he noticed the popularity of self-serve frozen yogurt places but nothing like it on Long Island. He chose Merrick for his new venture because of its ideal location and demographics. "It takes a certain kind of town to embrace this concept."

Moolala Yogurt Café unique offerings may just very well cause Merokeans to utter satisfied "ooh la la's" this summer and beyond. Check out the Moolala Frozen Yogurt Café's Facebook and Twitter pages for updates and specials.