Berry Chill to Bring "Yogurt Couture" to Chicago

All-Natural Yogurt Bar to Open March 2008

CHICAGO – March 1, 2008

Say farewell to fro-yo when Chicago becomes the home of a cultured frozen treat: Berry Chill. Offering delicious chilled yogurt with live active cultures in every bite, Berry Chill is opening on March 14 at 635 N. State.

The all-natural yogurt bar will offer a daily menu of plain chilled yogurt (a tangy treat) and rotating flavors made with all-natural ingredients that include pomegranate, green tea and "chilled" hot chocolate. More than a dozen fresh-fruit toppings will also be available, such as lychee, papaya and starfruit, and more than 30 dry toppings will include Milk & Honey granola, mochi and popular cereals.

At 20 calories per ounce and 100 percent fat free, a serving of Berry Chill yogurt can serve as a healthy snack, meal replacement or guilt-free dessert. Made with lactose free milk and yogurt, Berry Chill is deliciously creamy but naturally lactose free.

"We call it yogurt couture because it's the finest in yogurt," says Berry Chill Founder and Yogurteur Michael Farah. "Berry Chill is decadent and nourishing at the same time, offering all of the health benefits of yogurt with the satisfaction of a dessert."

Berry Chill was developed with the help of Dr. Mitchell S. Kaplan, a prominent local gastroenterologist. It contains probiotics not found in traditional fro-yo, and is certified by the National Yogurt Association. Enjoying Berry Chill provides all of the health benefits of fresh yogurt but with a refreshing, freezy-tart taste.

"There are a lot of people who can't tolerate milk but can enjoy yogurt due to the culturing process that makes it more digestible," says Dr. Kaplan. "I encourage my patients to eat yogurt with live active cultures every day because of the many health benefits."

The benefits of eating yogurt daily include:

• Increased Metabolism – Adding one or more servings of yogurt to your daily diet is proven to boost the body's fat burning by increasing fat oxidation.
• Boosted Immune Response – Yogurt contains a friendly bacterium called Lactobacillus Casei, which significantly improves the immune response and the ability to fight off disease.
• Lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol, and raised HDL (good) cholesterol
• Fresh Breath – Consuming six ounces of yogurt or more each day not only lowers levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is responsible for bad breath, but also eliminates tongue-coating bacteria which leads to dental plaque, cavities and gingivitis.

A medium, eight-ounce Berry Chill with three toppings will cost $4.99. Other menu items will include the BC Blast (yogurt with toppings mixed inside) and the BC Blender (smoothies).

The first Berry Chill location opens in March one block from the Magnificent Mile at 635 N. State, and its modern design includes a self-order kiosk for consumers on the go, plasma-screen menus, a mosaic-tiled yogurt bar and indoor/outdoor seating. Two loop locations will open in spring 2008 at 132 N. LaSalle and 500 W. Madison (Ogilvie Train Station).

Hours will be 8am – 10pm Sunday through Thursday, and 8am – 4am Friday and Saturday.

A Smart Car will make deliveries of $10 or more to residences, corporate lunches and meetings.

Berry Chill offers the Culture Club card, a loyalty and gift card program. Consumers can link their Culture Club card to one of several partner charities, to which Berry Chill will donate a portion of each sale.

Another benefit of the card is that it automatically remembers the cardholder's last five orders, making the ordering process even easier for frequent visitors.

Berry Chill has developed partnerships with Bright Pink, a breast and ovarian cancer support group, Imerman Angels, a one-on-one cancer support group, Meals on Wheels and the Chicago Lost Boys of the Sudan.