Pinkberry To Swirl in Square

Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt will be opening at 1380 Mass. Ave—the long-vacant former location of Alpha Omega Jewelers—on Friday, April 8.

The Pinkberry corporation decided to look for a location in Harvard Square after it began its expansion to New England, according to CEO Ron Graves.

Trippe J. Lonian, the Pinkberry area developer for New England, is a resident of Cambridge and used to live in Harvard Square.

“I understand how important and historic that corner is,” Lonian said. “It’s great from an energy standpoint. It’s truly unique, and it’s always been a melting pot of people.”

Pinkberry—already a member of the Harvard Square Business Association—plans to become a part of the Harvard Square community by hosting and participating in local events and partnering with other local businesses, according to Graves.

Lonian said that the company is looking forward to being a part of the Square community.

“Our concept appeals to a lot of people. We like being near colleges, but we also like being near businesses,” Lonian said.

The chain’s yogurt appeals to a variety of customers by allowing them to personalize every order with over 30 toppings and six yogurt flavors, according to Graves.

Pinkberry opened its first New England location in Hingham, Mass., in August. Another location opened at 288 Newbury St. in Boston in November.

The Harvard Square location will be the first Pinkberry in the region to be open for breakfast. The shop will open at 9 a.m. daily, as opposed to 11 a.m. at other locations.

Breakfast options include the Pinkberry fruit parfait—which includes granola and five layers of fruit topped with original yogurt—as well as the Pinkberry fruit bowl and freshly-blended smoothies.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to offer a different breakfast option for students. Our neighbors, Starbucks and Au Bon Pain, seem to be pretty busy in the morning, and we’re interested in becoming a part of that,” Lonian said.

The Harvard Square location will be open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

The design of the location will be standard to Pinkberry stores in the U.S.

“The design is contemporary, crisp, and creates a lively, energetic atmosphere,” Graves wrote in an email.

Graves is not concerned with competition from other local yogurt shops, such as the locally-owned and -operated Berryline.

“Pinkberry is the original. We are our own brand, and there is no product, nor experience like it,” Graves wrote.

The former Alpha Omega Jewelers location has been divided to include Pinkberry and a new Starbucks location, with Pinkberry on the left.

—Staff writer Kerry M. Flynn can be reached at kflynn@college.harvard.edu.