Red Mango has jumped onto the better-for-you shakes platform with the recent introduction of Dream Shakes.
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Dallas-based Red Mango Inc., which has offered smoothies since summer 2010, said the new Dream Shakes are a “fusion of nonfat yogurt and indulgent desserts.”
Other frozen yogurt chains have been offering similar frozen-treat products, such as the milk shakes at Salt Lake City, Utah-based TCBY, which also has coffee-based “chillers” and sorbet fizzes.
Dan Kim, founder and chief concept officer for Red Mango, said the new Dream Shakes are available in the chain’s two new Fro-Yo Mashups flavors, which also were just introduced. Prices vary by location.
The Mashup flavors include Red Velvet No. 9, which features the flavors of red velvet cake and cream-cheese frosting, and Nutty Potion No. 9, made with a chocolate-hazelnut-based spread.
Kim said Red Mango developed an interest in shakes because the company had observed “that although consumers are responding to the importance of consuming healthy and functional foods, they still have an unwavering desire for indulgence and comfort, especially when it comes to frozen treats and beverages.”
He added that the Fro-Yo Mashups platform, which combines better-for-you frozen yogurt with decadent treats, “is based on meeting the new consumer need for what I call ‘healthy comfort.’”
“In my opinion,” he said in answer to emailed questions, “consumers are no longer choosing only ‘healthy’ or only ‘indulgent’ when it comes to food. Rather, they are increasingly embracing the concept of balance and moderation, which I believe is the most realistic way to live a healthy life.”
Kim added that the Fro-Yo Mashups and Dream Shakes fit well into the product line.
“Many of our customers are already engaged in the practice of combining the healthy with the indulgent,” he said. “They take our all-natural, nonfat frozen yogurt (which is clearly healthy), add fresh fruit toppings (which is also healthy), and then in many cases, top their creation with a little bit (or a lot, in some cases) of chocolates, candies and cookies.
“Of course, the strictly health conscious skip the third step … most of the time,” he said.
The Dream Shakes platform, at its heart, he said, is “about giving consumers the freedom and choice to live a fun and healthy life in a well-balanced and realistic way.”
Red Mango has more than 190 units in the United States and Mexico.
Contact Ron Ruggless at ronald.ruggless@penton.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless