Jaejun Lee, and wife Jin Hye, want Nova Yogurt to be the campus community's dessert desitnation. Photo: Wayne Armstrong
With 16 flavors of frozen yogurt and a topping bar featuring more than 50 options — everything from cereal and crushed-up candy bars to slivered almonds and fresh blueberries — the month-old Nova Yogurt Co. at 2058 S. University Blvd. already is a haven for the sweet-toothed. But with the addition of French- and Asian-inspired baked goods, including cookies, cakes, buns and brownies, the yogurt shop is looking to become a DU dessert destination.
“What we’d like to achieve is some kind of a dessert location, not only frozen dessert but we’d like to provide some warm dessert, some cake dessert, some bread in the mornings,” says owner Jaejun Lee, who also is looking into adding some “interesting” coffee and tea options — perhaps Japanese-style vaccum brewing — to accompany the baked goods, which will be made in-house by Lee’s wife, Jin Hye, a Johnson and Wales pastry grad who interned in France.
The curious can get a sneak peek of the new dessert offerings — which include a make-your-own-parfait cup — at Nova’s grand opening celebration on Saturday, Sept. 17. The day features special deals on fro-yo, plus T-shirt giveaways and more.
Lee, who was born in South Korea, says he first encountered the self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce frozen yogurt concept in Southern California, where he moved after studying computer science at Ball State University in Indiana. When he moved to Colorado five years ago he started looking for a space in which to do something similar, and when the former Motions dancewear store (more recently a temporary Halloween costume shop) came available, he started making inquiries. The space took three months to remodel and includes a California-style interior covered patio between the sidewalk and storefront.
For more information, visit www.novayogurt.com.