(Newser)
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What else would you expect from the city that hawks $2.50 bottles of tap water? New York will, as of tomorrow, have the distinction of being home to two "yogurt bars." And we're not talking about the kind of yogurt that's frozen and comes twirled in a cone. Dannon's Yogurt Culture Company opened earlier this month, selling both traditional yogurt and the much-thicker Greek variety. Tomorrow, the country's No. 1 Greek yogurt maker, Chobani, will open its own yogurt bar.
Both hope to build off of Greek yogurt's explosive growth: Sales of the protein-rich foodstuff made up 1.5% of yogurt sales in 2006; now, it claims 21% of the market, with sales of $1.6 billion a year. But the two companies are going about things differently. Dannon's version takes after its fro-yo brethren, and offers five ounces with unlimited pick-your-own toppings for the very New York price of $5.49. The Soho Chobani outpost eschews make-it-yourself options. Customers will instead pick from a set menu of creations, like Greek yogurt topped with figs, walnuts, and honey; cucumbers and olive oil; or PB&J with grapes and peanuts. Six ounces sells for $3.75.
