Berry Chill dresses up yogurt

| Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Some call it the Starbucks of yogurt. Others say it’s the Mother Theresa of culture. No matter how you look at it, Berry Chill is mouth-watering and different. This is not TCBY.

Berry Chill — “Yogurt Couture” — has opened in Chicago, taking a high-brow approach to a food item usually eaten by peeling back an aluminum foil lid.

A quick trip through berrychill.com gives you more than you need to know about the fledgling company. Befitting its name, the company boasts the nutritional value of its chilled yogurt and healthy add-ons: fruit, nuts, breakfast cereals, pie crumblings and candy. (Um, did we say healthy?)

What makes Berry Chill stand out is its commitment to the environment, its customers and its neighbors. The dishes and utensils are 100 percent recyclable and reusable. By joining Berry Chill’s Culture Club, 3 percent of your sale goes to four charities the company supports: Bright Pink (breast cancer), Gen Art (the support of young artists, musicians and entertainers), Imerman Angels (a cancer support system) and Meals on Wheels.

When you finally decide what you want from a wide array of flavors and topping options, you’d best make sure your wallet is as bountiful as Berry Chill’s accoutrements. A plain small will run you $2.99, and if you start adding flavored yogurt and some toppings, you’re quickly in the $8.49 range.

Berry Chill is the Midwest’s answer to Pinkberry, a popular yogurt franchise in California and New York..