Ranu's Reviews

Bberries Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Bar
650 Union Blvd
Totowa, NJ 07512
973-925-4800

Mon - Thurs: 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Fri - Sun: 11:00 am - 12:00 am

With the cupcake fad all but over in North Jersey, it appears that frozen yogurt is the new dessert treat to be sweeping the area. Cups in Clifton has cemented its place in the standings as a fro-yo favorite, but with time comes competition and Bberries is literally knocking on the door in nearby Totowa.

Same Yogurt, Similar Concept

Both Cups and Bberries use the same fro-yo distributor, YoCream. So there is no sense wasting any time or space debating the yogurt because it is exactly the same. You can read my Cups review to see how much I love the fro-yo.

Why Bberries is Bbetter (in some aspects)

Before you even step foot inside Bberries you'll notice something that is extremely rare at Cups--empty parking spaces! There is plenty of parking for one and all. And when you do step foot inside of Bberries you'll be happy to see a very spacious eating area. It was very calming at Bberries. Maybe it is the blaring music at Cups or the small area jammed with people, but Bberries was a much welcomed change in my book.

The actual fro-yo dispensing area at Bberries is much larger and looks like it can handle more people without the pressure of feeling rushed. Granted, I was there on a weekday afternoon and there weren't many people, but in my opinion that area of the place appears to be better laid out to handle a large influx of people.

I also like the fact that the nutritional information is front and center before you get your yogurt. It is nice to have that information online, but when you are in the store it should also be displayed in person. There is also a poster next to the nutritional information with all the benefits of the fro-yo.

Even though the yogurt is the same, Bberries does have different flavors. In fact, when I was at Bberries they had an Apple Pie flavor that was amazing and I have never seen that one at Cups.

There was also a decent-sized area dedicated to the cups, sample cups and napkins. I like the fact that the napkins are not hidden and readily available before you dispense your yogurt. It was also nice to see a sign announcing upcoming flavors--didn't say when and it was handwritten, but at least it was there.

Bberries has a few flat screen TVs that were playing actual current television programming, so one could sit down and enjoy their fro-yo while watching TV. Cups on the other hand, has the same continuous loop of some 60s movie that you can't even watch because the music is pumping so loud.

The last of the kudos I have for Bberries deals with their toppings. I absolutely love having the name of the topping printed on the handle of the spoon used to scoop the toppings. This makes it so much easier to identify everything. And last but not least--they have marshmallow sauce!! My all-time favorite topping!

Why Cups is Still King (for now)

Bberries did a fantastic job of ripping off Cups--who ripped off 16 Handles--right down to the tagline. Guess all is fair in love and fro-yo.

Cups still has more flavors and way more toppings. There are eight stations containing three dispensers for a total of 24 flavors at Cups, while Bberries has six stations for a total of 18 flavors. Plus, Cups has mini cheesecake bites which I have grown very, very fond of! Oh yeah, Cups also has free water with floating fruit.

The End Result

After listing all the pros and cons, the only real negative about Bberries is the number of flavors and toppings compared to Cups. Although the one glaring item missing at Bberries is the price of their yogurt! There is not one single identifier in that store that tells you how much it costs. I had to ask an employee and the price is the same as Cups--49 cents per ounce.

Bberries has more room inside, more tables, more parking, more TVs and the same exact fro-yo as Cups. They even have the same frequent buyer program--buy nine cups of fro-yo and the tenth one is free.

For me, I'll probably still go to Cups more often since it is a lot closer to my house, however, Bberries is a viable option for fro-yo for those of you that don't feel like traveling to Clifton and dealing with the parking headaches at The Promenade. The one good thing for us consumers--if there are no parking spots or a line at Cups--Bberries is only a short ride away.

For more info on Bberries, visit their website: http://www.bberriesfroyo.com.