Yogurt Shops: Not Just for Dessert Anymore
Yogurt shops have proliferated across D.C. in the last several years, though until last December, all of them were of the frozen variety. Last month, Yola opened up on Connecticut Avenue, just south of Dupont Circle. Not unlike many of the other yogurt places around town, they've got the toppings bar laden with fruit, muesli, agave nectar and coconut shavings. They have the all-lowercase logo, playful color scheme and the commitment to natural ingredients and sustainability, too. But instead of cups of fro-yo swirled high, they're layering parfaits with regular yogurt.
Yola features a few signature parfaits for breakfast at $4.10 for a small and $5.25 for a large. For just a few cents more, eaters can run their cups through an unlimited toppings bar featuring fresh fruit, a range of cereals, nuts, peanut and pumpkin butters, jellies -- and even chopped cucumber, tomato, and dill for the lunch crowd.
Yogurt flavors, which include vanilla, chocolate, peach, lemon and maple, come from small producers: Blue Ridge Dairy in Virginia and Trickling Springs Creamery in Pennsylvania. I find the thick and tart low-fat Greek-style yogurt essential for concocting a great parfait, though going Greek does up the price 99 cents, which can make for a hefty six-dollar-plus cup of yogurt. Smoothies, oatmeal and a small selection of baked goods round out Yola's menu.
If you're in the mood for coffee instead of yogurt, Yola doesn't joke around: there's a dedicated "coffee director" who distilled the syrup for the seasonal pumpkin latte out of actual pumpkins. And the "la" in the name? It comes from latte. With free WiFi, a 9 p.m. closing time and Counter Culture roasted beans, Yola's central location make it a good non-chain option for coffee in the Dupont area.
Proprietor Laura Smith, 24, conceived of the business when looking for work after her college graduation and after having lived in Europe and seeing similar concepts there. She joked with her dad, David, about putting together a business plan. And when she did, he backed it. Suddenly, the father-daughter pair were in the yogurt parfait business together.
Parfaits have been seen more and more at fast food joints from McDonald's, to Corner Bakery, to the Lowest Price gas station on 14th and W. (Yes, a gas station.) So are parfaits the next big thing in D.C.? We wouldn't be too surprised to see a few competitors with names like FreshYo and The Live Cultured Cup popping up around town soon.
Yola
1323 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Metro: Dupont Circle