Frozen yogurt at Duke just got Tastier.
Tasti D-Lite, a low-fat and low-carbohydrate soft serve dessert treat, is debuting in Alpine Bagels this week and puts an emphasis on both flavor and nutrition. The four flavors—vanilla, Dutch chocolate, mint chocolate and New York cheesecake—range from approximately 70 and 100 calories per 4-ounce serving and toppings selections have also expanded. The shift from Freshens—which had not been in Alpine since December—follows the venue’s dissatisfaction with the Freshens company and its lack of accommodation when it came to equipment maintenance, said Steve Eller, director for Alpine Bagels. Eller added that the owner of Alpine is also business partners with Tasti D-Lite franchisees, which facilitated the switch considering the “increased advantages” of Tasti D-Lite.
There was a steady stream of fro-yo customers at Alpine Bagels Monday afternoon. The Chronicle’s Nicole Kyle talked to students to gauge their reactions.
“I’ve never had Tasti D-Lite before. I’m glad to have an option of many different flavors too.”
—sophomore Stephanie Rotolo
“I’m super excited, but $4 for a small really is kind of expensive—you could just go to LoYo.”
—junior Lizz Yeh
“Everyone’s walking around with frozen yogurt in their hands, and it’s pretty good too!”
—junior Ruthie Greenfield, who tried the mint chocolate flavor
“It’s been really, really busy. We think its like this because it’s new, and plus the New York students—it’s really popular there.”
—Dee Dee, an Alpine Bagels employee, adding that mint chocolate and New York cheesecake are the most popular flavors
“We’re experimenting with different sizes, trying to figure out what’s right.”
—Tasti D-Lite franchisee Benton Tatum. Tatum added that he and Eller are adjusting the portions to give customers more product for the price. Toppings are increased to 2 ounces and the amount of froyo is also being increased per size.
“Yesterday went fairly well. I think that once everybody realizes we have some sort of new soft serve product available, it is going to grow dramatically. This is really going to be friendly to the community.”
—Steve Eller, in regards to sales and customer flow
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