Tutti Frutti is one of the new businesses that set its place on The Domain apartment that recently opened.
Nestled under College Park’s newest apartment complex near the business and architecture schools, frozen yogurt shop Tutti Frutti is catering to the gluten- and dairy-free crowds.
The shop, located under Domain at College Park, offers more than 50 flavors of frozen yogurt, all of which are gluten-free, general manager Isabel Kim said. Every day, at least one dairy-free option is also available.
Tutti Frutti, which opened earlier this month, is the newest of several frozen yogurt venues in the city. Yogiberry on Route 1, located next to Ratsie’s Pizza, has been open since 2009, and Sweetgreen opened in 2012 under the University View. Tutti Frutti is the first store to open under Domain and will be joined by Subway and Casey’s Coffee.
Tutti Frutti is part of a chain of individually owned stores, Kim said. Owners work with one another to compare ideas for enhancing the quality of the frozen yogurt options. The College Park location plans to use customer input to make menu changes, Kim said. Customers can make flavor requests on the store’s Facebook page or by contacting Kim.
Staple flavors include chocolate, vanilla and coffee, but a rotating menu includes options such as cheesecake, salted caramel and watermelon sorbet. Soy peanut butter, Kim said, is one of the most popular choices among customers.
“We switch out our flavors a lot to cater to different tastes,” Kim said.
In addition to gluten-free frozen yogurt, the store offers dairy-free flavors, created by nongenetically modified soybeans grown on farms, Kim said.
Like other frozen yogurt shops, Tutti Frutti lets customers serve their own portion of frozen yogurt and add toppings, which range from brownie bites and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to pomegranates and mangoes. A bowl costs 49 cents per ounce, slightly more expensive than Yogiberry, which costs 45 cents per ounce. Sweetgreen offers small servings for $4 and large bowls for $6.
It’s been a slow start for business, Kim said. The store had to postpone its grand opening planned for Nov. 22 to wait for contractor inspections, which Kim said caused a steep decline in business. The first week after the store’s opening was slow she said, but business picked up in the second week.
“A lot of our business is dependent on students,” Kim said. “The last thing you think about is frozen yogurt when you’re cold.”
The store now plans to have a grand opening in February, “when everyone settles in; it’s not too crazy,” Kim said. She said the store plans to add smoothies, coffee, bubble tea and more once employees become comfortable with their positions.
Some students who are regular customers of Yogiberry said they are looking forward to having an opportunity to try Tutti Frutti; it is just a matter of making the trek across the campus.
“I’d be willing to try it, but it’s under the Domain, right?” said Jordan Kramer, a freshman government and politics major. “I don’t go over there that often.”
Sophomore journalism major Cheri Wang, an Ellicott City native, said Tutti Frutti is the most popular frozen yogurt shop back home.
“I think Tutti Frutti tastes better,” Wang said. “I just like the flavors better.”